Recipe: Vegan Mac and Cheese

by Shannon Turner
December 17, 2010

This recipe is perfect for novice cooks. Happily, it's also one of the most commonly requested at home - which is awesome because it's so quick and easy to make. It's also super high in essential vitamins B6 and B12, something vegans and non-vegans alike don't get enough of.

There's a commonly held misconception that only vegans need to worry about getting enough B12 - that if you're vegetarian or an omnivore, you easily get all the B12 you need.  But to get all of the B12 you need in a single day, you'd have to eat either 10 eggs, drink 6½ cups of milk, eat a 8 oz top sirloin, or eat nearly a half pound of cheese, EVERY DAY - just to get enough. And what do all of these foods have in common? They're super high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and are usually cooked with a lot of salt - basically everything you want to avoid, is found in these foods. Why eat those foods for the B12 when it's found in other, healthier foods?

The measurements in this recipe will be for 16oz of dry pasta. If you want to jazz it up a bit, try adding some peas or cooked kale after you've mixed all the ingredients - green vegetables a perfect match!

Shopping List:
1 pound Whole wheat pasta
Nutritional Yeast (be sure not to buy it from a bulk bin or a clear container; light destroys B12)
Soy Sauce or Tamari (I recommend Low-Sodium, it's much better for you and you'll learn to love the less-salty taste - it leaves more room for the flavors of your food to shine!)
Earth Balance (or other vegan butter-like spread)
Unsweetened Soymilk (Not just plain, you need unsweetened)
Black Peppercorns (if you have a grinder or pepper mill for them, if not - Ground Black Pepper works)
Hot Sauce (optional)
Peas or Kale (optional)

Boil your water and cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta but do NOT rinse it; you want it to be still hot when you add in your ingredients.

While the pasta is cooking, go ahead and set aside:

2 Tbsp Earth Balance (if you like moister pasta, try another Tbsp of Earth Balance)
1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy sauce or tamari
1/3 cup unsweetened soymilk
6 Tbsp Nutrional Yeast (if you like cheesier tasting pasta, try another Tbsp or two of Nutritional Yeast)

Once you've drained the pasta, return it to the pan. Add the Earth Balance, stir it about to let it melt, add the nutritional yeast next, then the soymilk and soy sauce/tamari. Stir it well so you don't have clumps of nutritional yeast.
Top with freshly ground black pepper, add hot sauce if you like, and if you've opted for your kale or peas, drain and add them too! You're done! Now enjoy!