Quick Vegan Cheesy Pasta

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, British

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 620kcal

Author: Jacq

This super quick and easy cheesy pasta meal is a family favourite packed with plant-based goodness and flavours. Perfect for fast, no-fuss mid-week dinners. Our cheesy pasta recipe is a nice alternative to boxed cheesy pasta.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Large non-stick pot
mixing spoon

Ingredients

400 grams macaroni or elbow pasta [or your preferred shape/or go with gluten-free pasta - but do adjust the cooking times]
450 grams broccoli [1 medium head of broccoli, chopped into small florets, peel the stalk and dice, and chop any leaves. Can also replace with frozen broccoli]
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
700 mililitres plant-based milk [use one that copes well with heat, we like to use unsweetened soya or oat milk]
1 litre vegetable stock [boiling, use 1 stock cube/2-3 teaspoons stock powder/paste or half water and half ready-made vegetable stock]

Add after pasta cooked:

55 grams nutritional yeast flakes
55 grams dairy-free cheese [grated, or replace with extra yeast flakes to taste if necessary, we often omit this ingredient when we don't have any in our fridge]
1 tablespoon white miso paste
125 millilitres plant-based milk

Optional garnish:

4 spring onions [green onions] [sliced, or replace with a bunch of sliced chives]

Instructions

Add the macaroni and broccoli to a non-stick pot.
400 grams macaroni or elbow pasta, 450 grams broccoli
Pour in the vegetable stock and plant-based milk. If you start with hot or boiling vegetable stock it will reduce the time it takes for the pasta to come to the boil.
1 litre vegetable stock, 700 mililitres plant-based milk
Stir through the garlic and onion powders, and give everything a good stir. Bring the pasta to the boil.
2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the pasta is just cooked. Check the pasta package for specific cooking times for the type of pasta you are using.
Stir frequently to ensure the pasta doesn't stick to the pot.
Once the pasta has cooked, switch off the stove-top ring heat. Add the nutritional yeast flakes, and dairy-free cheese. Mix the white miso paste and the extra plant-based milk together ensuring the paste is fully mixed.
55 grams nutritional yeast flakes, 55 grams dairy-free cheese, 1 tablespoon white miso paste, 125 millilitres plant-based milk
Season with enough salt and pepper to bring all the flavours together.
If necessary, add extra milk to thin the sauce and heat the pasta up over a low heat, stirring frequently.

Serving suggestion:

Serve with sliced spring onions or chives scattered over. A crisp salad and some crusty bread are ideal accompaniments.
4 spring onions [green onions]

Notes

Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary. For less sodium choose a lower salt vegan stock.
The grated vegan cheese is optional and can be omitted. Instead you can add extra nutritional yeast flakes to taste (if necessary) and perhaps add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder or ½-1 teaspoon of mustard powder [such as Coleman's] at the beginning of cooking for extra cheesy flavours] We often omit the vegan cheese especially if we don't have it in our fridge or it costs too much at the supermarket.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, for up to 3 days, covered.
Reheat leftovers by adding to a pot with some extra milk to thin the thick sauce. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and stir frequently until piping hot. Or reheat within a microwave.
Leftovers are tasty served with a baked potato and side salad. Or served over toasted bread for next day's lunch.
For a gluten-free cheesy pasta use a gluten-free pasta shape, gluten-free vegetable stock, and a gluten-free white miso paste.

Nutrition