Buffalo Mac and Cheese please! This easy to make recipe is a must try. Tossed in a creamy dairy-free sauce made with carrots, cauliflower, bell pepper, cashews, and a kick of buffalo sauce. This isn’t your basic mac and cheese, it’s jammed packed with some of my favorite veggies!
TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS PASTA SAUCE
- The first thing you will want to do is soak your cashews in warm water for 30-45 minutes. This will make sure your cheese sauce is super creamy.
- To cook your cauliflower and carrots bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until fork tender. I used frozen cauliflower but you can also use fresh cauliflower.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until creamy and smooth. If you see little pieces of cashews in your sauce blend it longer until the sauce is super creamy.
- Do you like your foods really spicy? If so, taste your buffalo cheese sauce and add additional cayenne pepper to meet your preference. I just would recommend only adding a little at a time so it doesn’t get too spicy.
- After you are done cooking the pasta immediately take it off the stove. Keeping the pasta with the sauce on the stove will cause it to burn and get too thick.
- As this sauce cools it will harden. To thin your sauce add milk and mix until your desired consistency.
Substitutions
I wanted to share some recipe ingredients that you can swap out in case you do not have the ones I listed in your pantry.
Pasta- Any type of pasta, if you are gluten-free use GF noodles.
Unsweetened Milk- Unsweetened almond, oat, or soy milk.
Frozen Cauliflower – Fresh Cauliflower
Cayenne Pepper – Crushed Red Pepper
Minced Garlic Cloves- Garlic Powder
Unsalted Cashews – Salted Cashews, rinsed
I love topping my pasta with garnishes. In this photo I topped this pasta with fresh cilantro.
Here are some other great garnishes to add to your pasta :
- Fresh Herbs
- Dried Herbs
- Crushed Red Pepper
HOW TO REHEAT THIS PASTA FOR LEFTOVERS
I like to reheat this pasta on the stove or microwave. Once you put the pasta in the refrigerator you will notice that the pasta sauce will thicken once it cools. To thin the sauce I recommend adding a little bit of milk to your pasta bowl before reheating it. The amount of milk you add will depend on how much pasta you have leftover.
This Buffalo Mac and Cheese is:
Rich
Creamy
Flavorful
Easy to Make
Can be made gluten-free
When you make this pasta I would love it if you would snap a photo of your food and share it with me on instagram @itsallgoodvegan. I can’t wait to see how you like it!
Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Tossed in a creamy dairy-free sauce made with carrots, cauliflower, bell pepper, cashews, and a kick of buffalo sauce.
Buffalo Cheese Sauce
- 2 cups cauliflower, I used frozen
- ½ large red bell pepper
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup unsalted cashews, soaked for 30-45 minutes
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce, gluten-free
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk, I used soy milk
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, add more for a spicier sauce
Pasta
- 16 ounces of pasta, I used rigatoni, cooked according to the back of the package, gluten-free
Directions
- Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower, carrots, and boil for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the water and transfer to a high powered blender.
- Combine the rest of the buffalo cheese sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
- Taste the cheese sauce and add additional seasoning (salt or cayenne pepper).
- Pour the cheese sauce over your cooked pasta and toss.
- Take the pasta off the heat and divide pasta into bowls.
- Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
Make it Your Own
- Love your food extra spicy? Sprinkle crushed red pepper on top of your pasta.
- Make sure to take the pasta immediately off the heat. The sauce will start to thicken and harden if left on the heat.
- As the sauce cools it with thicken. To thin your sauce add additional milk. I also recommend thinning your sauce if you are eating it for leftovers.