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white bowl of vegan butternut squash mac and cheese with red pepper flakes
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

A luxuriously creamy vegan mac and cheese packed with flavor. This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is rich, decadent, and deliciously cheesy!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butternut squash, mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • High speed blender

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash you will need 1 cup of cooked butternut squash, a small squash works fine
  • Olive oil for brushing the squash
  • Salt to season the squash
  • Black pepper freshly ground, to season the squash
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 shallot peeled and minced
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or less if you prefer it to be milder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 8 ounces macaroni or cavatappi or your favorite type of pasta
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
  • ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and brush each halve with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the halves flesh-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking periodically for doneness. All of the flesh should be soft when poked with a fork.
  • While the squash is baking, heat butter over medium-low heat in a frying pan. Once melted, add the shallot, turn the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat back to medium low for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Stir frequently.
  • Cook the macaroni noodles according to package instructions. When done, drain and stir with olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
  • Remove the squash from the oven when done. Let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully scoop out 1 cup of butternut squash and add to a blender. Add the garlic-shallot mixture to the blender, along with the nutritional yeast, coconut milk, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir. Serve with additional red pepper flakes or black pepper if desired.