Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese made with your favorite pasta and a creamy cashew sauce. Serve solo as a side and with protein for a main!

Last fall, we spent Friday and Saturday at an Air B&B in Virginia with friends to celebrate a birthday. 

It was our first time traveling with Flora!

I think I can speak for both M and me when I saw we were more than a little nervous about how it would all turn out. 

Pottying, sleeping, and eating were all big question marks, because our pup has never spent a night somewhere else. 

As it turns out, she did *very* well.

She picked up on the pottying after a few hours and settled in for sleep like a champ. 

In fact, I think she might travel better than her mama, who is always in a state of anxiety upon arrival. 

As usual, I packed most of my food for the weekend, including this Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese that I shared with my friends’ 1 year old son. 

He didn’t eat much, but I think that’s more because we were babysitting and less because of the recipe. 

This Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese is cozy, flavorful, and packed with veggies.

It’s made with your favorite pasta and a creamy cheesy cashew sauce.

Serve it solo as a side or add protein to make it more of a main!

What You Need to Make Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese

This recipe is a great way to use up frozen or fresh butternut squash by adding it to pantry staples!

Here’s what you need:

• butternut squash
• pasta
• cashews
• nutritional yeast
• garlic powder
• smoked paprika
• lemon
• Himalayan sea salt
• filtered water

That’s it!

How to Make Butternut Squash Sauce

You’re going to love the way butternut squash melts into this recipe, making a creamy sauce that’s loaded with Vitamin A and a beautiful orange color.

In a pot add 2 – 3 cups of water and fresh or frozen butternut squash, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook at a gentle boil for ~10 minutes or until fork tender. 

I use frozen butternut squash for this recipe!

Quick soak the cashews by covering them with hot water for ~10 minutes, then drain. 

In a high speed blender or food processor, add the cooked butternut squash, soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika, lemon juice, sea salt, and water and blend until creamy.

Add more water to thin out the consistency if you want!

How to Make the Mac ‘N’ Cheese

The rest of the recipe is just wrangling noodles! 

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Drain the pasta and then add back to the same large pot. 

Add the butternut squash cheese sauce to the pasta and stir to combine, heat over medium low until the sauce is thick and bubbling.

Heat longer for thicker mac ‘n’ cheese and less for a runnier sauce!

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan.

Swaps and Substitutions

I used rice pasta for this recipe, making this dish gluten free. 

This recipe should work with basically any noodle that you choose, so pick one that meets your dietary needs. 

For extra protein you can try using a legume-based pasta like lentil or chickpea noodles. 

If you’re using a lower protein pasta, you can always add a protein on the side, like peas, edamame, or tofu. 

You can substitute the cashews for another nut, like walnuts. 

Notes on Meal Prep

This Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese is great for meal prep because it keeps well in the refrigerator! 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheat before serving.

If the pasta gets too dried out, try adding a splash of almond milk before reheating and stir everything well before serving. 

This will revive the sauce and make it a bit creamier!

How to Serve Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese

This Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese is perfect to whip up when you need an easy comforting size or dinner dish. 

While it’s cozy and nostalgic, it’s also packed with veggies, healthy carbs, and good fats. 

It’s best served warm topped with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese! 

I like to serve this mac ‘n’ cheese with a side of something green, like peas or broccoli. 

You can serve this pasta as a main meal by adding some protein like peas or as a side dish to a vegan main. 

I think it would be a fantastic side to your holiday spread or any winter entertaining. 

Because it’s mac ‘n’ cheese, this is also a great meal for kids to appeal to their tastebuds and get them to eat veggies!

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days and reheat it in the microwave before serving.

Enjoy! 

More Vegan Pasta

• Sesame Tahini Soba Noodles

• Veggie Noodles With Lentil Walnut Mushroom Bolognese

• 1-Pot SunButter Pasta

• 1-Pan Tofu Cacciatore With Zoodles

• Spicy Almond Butter Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls

• Butternut Pasta Primavera

• Avocado Tahini Pasta

• Pea Pesto Pasta Salad

• Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

• 1-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

• Avocado Collard Greens Pesto Pasta

• Vegetable Pasta Salad

• 1-Bowl Hummus Pasta Salad

• No-Boil Spaghetti Bake

• Creamy Vegan 1-Pot Pasta

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

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XO Lauren

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