I was craving creamy, cheesy pasta – but dairy allergy says no – and this recipe hit the spot! Gluten-free rice elbow pasta, a cashew creme sauce, and lots of sweet green peas complete the trifecta. The photo below in our Dutch Oven shows a double recipe – the boys wanted to bring a few servings with them on a camping trip, so we doubled up to ensure plenty for everyone!
Vegan Mac n Peas
If you thought that avoiding wheat and dairy meant saying goodbye to a classic American pasta dinner, then you were wrong! This Vegan Mac n Peas is legit, with an added bonus of providing our boys with hidden veggies. Enjoy!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 178kcal
Ingredients
- 2 yellow potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3-4 green onions chopped rough
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 16 oz gluten-free macaroni cooked
- 2 cups green peas
- paprika to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chipotle salsa or favorite salsa
Instructions
- Add potatoes, carrot, and green onion to a large pot or Dutch oven of boiling water. Cover and allow the vegetables to cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Reserve 2 cups of the water and remove the vegetables from the pot.
- Add potatoes, carrot, onion, cashews, salsa, and seasonings to a blender with half of the reserved water. Blend, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Pour the vegetable sauce over the cooked macaroni and stir in the green peas before serving. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy flavor to vegan meals. For this recipe, I also added our favorite chipotle salsa, which provided a bit of spice but really more of smoky cheesy flavor. We used this brown rice elbow pasta and it kept its texture and consistency through numerous reheatings and leftovers.
