This sauce in this recipe is essentially a half batch of Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup. You can make this dish in a snap by making a full soup recipe and freezing it in portions. Defrost in the microwave when you’re ready to make mac and “cheese.” You can use the sauce straight up over pasta, but to make this a more balanced meal, we’ve suggested the hunger-quenching add-ins of beans and kale.
Ingredients
"Cheese" Sauce:
- ½ head garlic
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- ½ head cauliflower, chopped
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- ½ carrot, peeled and diced
- ½ stalk celery, diced
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ½ (13.5 oz.) can unsweetened, low-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
Pasta:
- 1 lb. small pasta shells
- 2 (15.5 oz.) cans of no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the tips of the clove and cut in half. Lightly drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the head in aluminum foil.
- Toss the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the garlic on the same sheet and roast until browned and tender (30 minutes).
- While the cauliflower and garlic roast, heat remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (3-5 minutes).
- Add carrots and celery. Cook until celery starts to soften. Add paprika, if using, and salt. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- When the garlic and cauliflower are done, remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze out the individual cloves. Add cauliflower and garlic to the pot and return to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are soft (10-15 minutes).
- While vegetables soften, cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Before draining, place the kale and beans in a large colander. Pour the hot pasta and water over the kale and beans to heat and drain thoroughly.
- Puree cheese sauce using an immersion blender. Stir in coconut milk and nutritional yeast.
- Stir pasta, beans, and kale into the cheese sauce and heat over medium heat to desired temperature, stirring to minimize sticking (2-3 minutes).
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
Serving Size 292 g
| Amount per serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 335 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 6.5g | 9% | |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% | |
| Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g | ||
| Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 155mg | 7% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 57g | 21% | |
| Dietary Fiber 6g | 21% | |
| Total Sugars 3g | ||
| Includes 0g Added Sugars | 0% | |
| Sugar Alcohol 0g | ||
| Other Carbohydrate 41g | ||
| Protein 13g | ||
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium 70.3mg | 6% | |
| Iron 3.2mg | 15% | |
| Potassium 465mg | 10% | |
| Vitamin A 88mcg | 10% | |
| Vitamin C 28.6mg | 30% | |
| Vitamin E 0.7mg | 6% | |
| Vitamin K 65.5mcg | 50% | |
| Thiamin 2.3mg | 190% | |
| Riboflavin 1.5mg | 120% | |
| Niacin 12mg | 80% | |
| Vitamin B6 1mg | 50% | |
| Folate 268.2mcg | 67% | |
| Vitamin B12 2.2mcg | 90% | |
| Biotin 3.1mcg | 10% | |
| Chloride 6.5mg | 0% | |
| Pantothenate 0.6mg | 20% | |
| Phosphorus 214.6mg | 15% | |
| Iodine 0.1mcg | 0% | |
| Magnesium 74.7mg | 20% | |
| Zinc 1.8mg | 20% | |
| Selenium 36.5mcg | 70% | |
| Copper 0.3mg | 35% | |
| Manganese 0.7mg | 30% | |
| Chromium 0mcg | 0% | |
| Molybdenum 2.8mcg | 6% | |
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Ingredients
No Salt Added Cannellini Beans (organic White Kidney Beans, Water, Kombu Seaweed), Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (water, Organic Carrots, Organic Celery, Organic Onions, Organic Leeks, Organic Tomato Puree (organic Tomatoes, Sea Salt, Citric Acid), Organic Mushrooms, Organic Garlic, Organic Spices, Organic Sea Salt), Small Pasta Shells (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Lite Coconut Milk (water, Coconut Milk, Guar Gum (a Natural Emulsifier)), Cauliflower, Kale, Onion, Carrots, Olive Oil, Celery, Garlic, Nutritional Yeast (inactive Dry Yeast, Niacin (b3), Thiamin Hydrochloride (b1), Riboflavin (b2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (b6)), Salt.
Latest from Our Blog
Vacation Rental Cooking (And Not Cooking)
Eating out vs. vacation rental cooking—what's the best balance? Our tips can help you eat healthy, save money, and enjoy your time away.