• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Vegan Atlas

  • Home
  • Easy Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Casseroles & Skillets
    • Desserts & Sweets
    • Gluten-Free
    • Holiday Roundups
    • Jewish Vegan Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Salads & Sides
    • Sandwiches & Wraps
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Stir-Fries
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Tortilla Dishes
    • Veganize This!
  • Good Food Guides
  • Tips & Trends
  • Travel & Dining
  • About
  • Nava’s Books
  • Contact

Cheesy Primavera Mac

October 4, 2019 By Robin Robertson Leave a Comment

Cheesy Primavera Mac from Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson

My kids cut their teeth, so to speak, on mac and cheese. And tofu. First, as vegetarian kids, then as vegan teens. Whenever friends came over, the meal most often served was mac and cheese, even after the shift to a vegan diet. Would that there had been a book like Vegan Mac & Cheese: More than 50 Delicious Plant-Based Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food by Robin Robertson as the gang was growing up! I would have taken a lot more chances with those preteen palates.

It took a long time for it to occur to me that plant-based cheesy sauces could be made with all kinds of vegetables — sometimes without a speck of actual vegan cheese (not that I have any objection to the latter; it’s just nice to switch things up). That’s a great feature of this lovely book, which offers 50 ways to make this beloved comfort food.

These creative recipes incorporate sauces made from plant-based milks, nuts, vegetables, and yes, sometimes vegan cheese, to create creamy, luscious mac and cheese variations. Robin takes the concept of mac and cheese tastefully global and wildly creative with recipes like:

  • Indian Curry Mac
  • Salsa Mac and Queso
  • Buffalo Cauliflower Mac
  • Greek Spinach Orzo Bake
  • Italian Macaroni Pie
  • Noodle Kugel
  • Philly Cheesesteak Mac
  • Brat & Kraut Mac and Cheese

… and lots more. Robin is a longtime colleague, and as someone who has enjoyed her recipes for years, I can vouch for them as among the tastiest, easiest to accomplish, and reliable in the biz. The recipes in Vegan Mac & Cheese are no exception! Mac and cheese remains a staple in our home, and still a favorite of my “aging” offspring. I look forward to lots of inspiration from this book.

And now, here’s Robin and her Cheesy Primavera Mac:

I like to use tricolor rotini in this lovely springtime casserole to mirror the gorgeous colors of the vegetables in the dish. Recipe from Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Photo: Jack Adams photography. Reprinted by permission.

Cheesy Primavera Mac by Robin Robertson

Yield: 4 to 6

Cheesy Primavera Mac

Cheesy Primavera Mac from Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson

Robin Robertson's cheese-less cheesy primavera mac uses tricolor rotini to mirror the gorgeous colors of the vegetables in the dish. 

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pasta and Vegetables

  • 16 ounces tricolor rotini, or other small pasta
  • 2 cups small broccoli florets
  • 3 scallions, white and green parts, minced
  • 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, arugula, or watercress
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1/4 cup roasted hulled sunflower seeds, optional garnish
  • Handful small basil leaves, optional garnish

Instructions

  1. To make the sauce: In a saucepan, combine the potato, carrot, garlic, and cashews with enough water to cover. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water.
  2. Drain and transfer the cooked vegetables and cashews to a high-speed blender, along with the reserved cooking water.
  3. Add the nutritional yeast, olive oil, paprika, miso, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed. Set aside.
  4. To make the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. About 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli to the pot. Drain the pasta and broccoli and return them to the pot.
  5. Place the pot over low heat and add the scallions, spinach, and cherry tomatoes and toss to combine.
  6. Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine and heat through. Transfer to a large serving dish and serve hot, garnished with sunflower seeds and basil leaves, if using.
© Robin Robertson
Cuisine: Plant-based / Category: Pasta & Noodles
Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson

Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson is available on Amazon
and wherever books are sold

  • Here are more recipe for pastas & noodles 

. . . . . . . . . .

*This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this site receives a modest commission, which helps maintain it and keeps it growing!

Filed Under: Easy Vegan Recipes, Pasta & Noodles

Previous Post: « Kale and Cucumber Salad with Avocado-Tahini Dressing
Next Post: “Tofuna” Vegan Tuna Melt Sandwiches »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Filter by Categories
Appetizers & Snacks
Beverages
Breads and savory baked goods
Breakfast & Brunch
Casseroles & Skillets
Desserts & Sweets
Easy Vegan Recipes
Gluten-Free
Good Food Guides
Jewish Vegan Recipes
Main Dishes
Nava's Books
Pasta & Noodles
Pizza
Recipe Roundups
Salads & Sides
Sandwiches & Wraps
Sauces & Dressings
Soups & Stews
Stir-Fries
Tips & Trends
Tofu & Tempeh
Tortilla Dishes
Travel & Dining
Vegan Holiday Roundups
Veganize This!

More results...

  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • rss
  • youtube

Vegan Recipes & Tips Delivered to you weekly!

Recent Posts

Vegan Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream copy

Vegan Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream

vegan shrimp and grits recipe

Vegan Shrimp and Grits (with a Plant-Based Bacon Option)

Vegan Pad See Eew with plant protein

Vegan Pad See Ew with Plant-Based Protein

Bunch Leeks

A Guide to Leeks (including baby leeks, ramps, and Chinese leeks)

home fermenting and preserving

An Introduction to Home Fermenting, Dehydrating, & Preserving

Homemade Vegan Quinoa Burger

Easy Homemade Vegan Burgers: A Simple Recipe Template

Copyright © 2021 The Vegan Atlas · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in