Vegan Butternut Squash Mac Cheese (Printer-friendly)
Creamy plant-based mac with roasted squash and sage in a silky dairy-free sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or pasta of choice
→ Roasted Butternut Squash
02 - 1.1 lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 0.5 tsp salt
05 - 0.25 tsp black pepper
→ Sauce
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
10 - 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
11 - 0.5 cup vegetable broth
12 - 0.25 cup nutritional yeast
13 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
14 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
16 - 0.5 tsp turmeric
17 - 1 tsp salt
18 - 0.25 tsp black pepper
→ Topping
19 - 0.33 cup panko breadcrumbs
20 - 1 tbsp olive oil
21 - 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Toss diced butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp pepper. Spread in a single layer on the tray and roast for 25–30 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
03 - Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
04 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté onion for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sage; cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
05 - Transfer the sautéed onion mixture and roasted squash to a blender. Add plant-based milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, turmeric, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
06 - Return the sauce to the skillet and heat gently over medium-low, stirring occasionally for 3–4 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat evenly. Warm through for 2–3 minutes.
08 - For the optional topping, mix panko breadcrumbs with olive oil and sage. Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, about 2–3 minutes.
09 - Serve the mac and cheese topped with toasted sage breadcrumbs and extra fresh sage if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce tastes genuinely indulgent, with none of the weird aftertaste some dairy-free versions leave behind.
- Roasted butternut squash does all the heavy lifting, so you're not fighting with coconut milk or weird substitutes.
- It comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners feel both comforting and actually doable.
02 -
- The roasted squash must actually be tender and caramelized, not just soft; this is where the sauce gets its real depth and richness.
- Nutritional yeast smells strange in the raw, but it's what makes this taste genuinely creamy and umami-forward, so don't skip it or swap it out.
- Blending the sauce until completely smooth is non-negotiable; any chunks of squash or onion will ruin the silky texture that makes this special.
03 -
- Don't be afraid of the blender; the longer you blend, the silkier your sauce becomes, and silky is what separates this from sad vegetable puree.
- Taste your sauce before you combine it with pasta, when you still have time to adjust seasoning; it's much harder to fix once everything is mixed together.