• `1 box dried macaroni elbows (or other pasta)
• 1 cup peeled/diced yellow potatoes (or russets)  This should be about 2 potatoes
• ¼ cup peeled/diced carrots.  This should be about 1 carrot
• ⅓ cup chopped onion (or 1.2 medium onion)
• ¾ cup water (preferably use liquid from pot of boiled veggies)
• ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for an hour minimum
• ¼ cup coconut milk (preferred) or Earth Balance margarine
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Finishing ingredients:

• Toasted bread crumbs or Panko (optional)
• 1 tsp of parsley flakes (optional)

1. Cook macaroni al dente, according to package instructions (usually requires boiling for 6-8 minutes in salted water), drain, and set aside.
2. Bring several cups of water to boil in a small pot. Place chopped potatoes, carrots, and onion in the boiling water, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and soft enough to blend. Cooking time will vary slightly, based on how small you have chopped your veggies.
3. When veggies are soft enough to blend, use a slotted spoon to remove them from cooking water, and place them in your blender. Add ¾ cup of that cooking water to your blender, along with your remaining ingredients.
4. Blend until smooth.  Add water sparingly if the blender needs it.
5. Pour sauce over your cooked macaroni noodles in a dish of your choice, taste for salt, mix, and serve immediately.
6. Or, place macaroni mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs*, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until crumbs are turning golden brown.
7. Top with dusting of paprika and parsley flakes.

*To make bread crumb topping, take 3 slices of bread in a food processor, add 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance, 1/2 tsp salt,  and pulverize.  You can also use Panko.

Variation to try-

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked!)
• Pasta of choice
• 4-6 slices of Follow Your Heart vegan smoked gouda
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• smoked paprika
• lemon juice
• bread crumbs
• vegan butter
• almond flour
• nutritional yeast

– Boil or soak raw cashews in water
– Boil pasta in veggie broth or vegan chicken flavored broth
– In a high speed blender add strained cashews and 4-6 slices of vegan Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda cheese
– Use the hot water that the pasta was boiled in to blend sauce. Start with a small amount and as to blender as necessary until desired creaminess is achieved.

Season with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and
cayenne pepper to taste. Also a squeeze of lemon.

– Taste for seasoning. I usually find myself adding more lemon and salt. Sometimes cayenne! ?

– Using the pasta water helps sauces stick to the pasta.

– To make a Parmesan crumbles for topping brown bread crumbs and almond flour in vegan butter in a skillet. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Add nutritional yeast.