Mac & Cheese Vegan Style

Mac & Cheese Vegan Style

This dairy-free version is none the less rich and satisfying. Vegetables can be added for a type of Pasta Primevara, but be careful not to overcook them, they should be tender-crisp.

Sauce:

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1-1/2 cups vegetable stock
pinch sea salt
pinch white or black pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons Miso Master Organic Sweet White Miso
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 cup parsley, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Pasta

12 ounces macaroni (such as rotelli, ziti, penne, or shells)

Directions

Add the oil to a medium-sized frying pan, and sauté the garlic and onion over low heat for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Slowly add the stock, whisking until the sauce thickens somewhat. Add a pinch of salt and, if desired, pepper, and simmer 5 minutes. Add a little more stock as needed, if sauce is too thick.

In a small bowl combine the miso and tahini, and gradually mix in 1 cup stock or water. Add the mixture to the sauce and simmer very gently for 1 to 2 minutes. For the last minute add the basil, about 3 tablespoons of the parsley (reserve the rest to garnish), and the vinegar or lemon juice.

Add the noodles to 3 quarts of rapidly boiling, salted water. As soon as the macaroni is cooked, drain it and immediately toss it with the sauce in a large bowl. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Jan and John Belleme are incredible cooks, authors and experts in traditional Japanese foods. They co-authored  Culinary Treasures of Japan, Cooking with Japanese Foods, Japanese Foods that Heal and The Miso Book: The Art of Cooking with Miso