Mac and Cheese Style – The Mediterranean & Vegan Way (cashews-free)

Somehow we missed tasting the “original” mac and cheese in the past, so we cannot promise you this is the exact version of it.

What we can confidently say, though, is that it’s a very easy & fast meal with simple ingredients you most probably already have in your cupboard right now.

Chickpea flour is one of the staple ingredients we always have because it’s versatile, healthy, delicious and gluten-free (if you avoid it).

And the idea for this less than 30-minute vegan meal came to us last year after returning home exhausted and craving something quick and easy.

So we opened our cupboards because that’s how we often operate now (sign up here to get more information if you’re bored of meal planning), and we prepared it very quickly and effortlessly.

Want to replace the smoked tofu (which is, btw, optional)?

Sauté mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and smoked paprika!

Want to make the recipe right now but don’t have pasta?

Replace it with boiled or baked potatoes or other vegetables and pour the béchamel on top of them. A few minutes in the oven and hop, a delicious vegan dish is ready for you!

If this béchamel reminds you of something, it’s because you saw it in one of the recipes we have in our e-book “Eat Like A Greek Vegan”.

Don’t have the ebook? Find it and order it here in English, French, or Greek. You’ll get it instantly in your email. 😉

Prepare this mac and cheese style in the Mediterranean & vegan way and come back to give us your feedback!

Don’t forget to show us your delicious creations on social media. Tag us @greekappetite, so that we can see them!


Mac and Cheese Style – The Mediterranean & Vegan Way (cashews-free)

Pelagia & Mary – Greek Appetite
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 250 gr macaroni or similar pasta type
  • 100 gr smoked tofu cut into cubes (optional but delicious)
  • 50 gr extra virgin olive oil
  • 50 gr chickpea flour
  • 2-3 garlic cloves cut into small pieces
  • 500 gr plant-based milk
  • ½ tsp nutmeg powder
  • nutritional yeast
  • salt, pepper

Instructions
 

  • Boil the pasta for a bit less of the cooking time indicated on the package because they will be also cooked for a while in the oven.
  • If you add smoked tofu, sauté it in a bit of olive oil and set it aside.

Prepare the béchamel type sauce:

  • In a saucepan, sauté the oil with the chickpea flour, add garlic, mix and finally add the milk.
  • Cook on medium heat and stir regularly until you have a thick béchamel.
  • Remove from the heat, add the nutmeg, the quantity of nutritional yeast you want, salt, pepper and mix.
  • Add the pasta and the tofu, transfer them to a baking pan, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top and bake them in an oven at 180°C/356° F for 5 to 10 minutes.
Keyword chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, vegan