Ingredients

• 4 cups Butternut Squash (peeled, seeded and sliced into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 Sweet Onion (diced)
• 2 Garlic (cloves, whole)
• 2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup Sliced Almonds
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 cup Cashews
• 2 tbsps Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tsps Sea Salt
• 1 cup Water
• 4 cups Macaroni, uncooked (red lentil, brown rice, or chickpea)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 420ºF (216ºC).
2. Place butternut squash, sweet onion and garlic cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, season with a bit of sea salt and pepper and mix well. Transfer onto a large foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Now let’s make the “breadcrumbs”. In a food processor, combine the almonds, garlic powder and onion powder. Pulse until almonds are coarsely chopped. Set aside.
4. In a blender, add cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and water. Blend until a creamy consistency forms. Now add in the roasted butternut squash and onion mix and blend until smooth.
5. Reduce oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook brown rice macaroni as per the directions on the package. When finished cooking, strain and run under cold water immediately to prevent from overcooking.
7. In a large bowl, mix together cooked macaroni and “cheese” sauce. Toss until well coated then transfer into a casserole dish. Top with almond breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls. Devour.

Tips

• For more protein, add chopped medium firm tofu, smoked tofu, black beans, white navy beans or edamame beans
• Add some clean hot sauce, chili flakes or cayenne pepper if you like it spicy
• Extra Vegetables: Add sautéed spinach and mushrooms