The Best Mac and Cheese Ever (vegan + gluten free options)

I LOVE cheese. Especially in the form of Mac and Cheese. Cheese is the reason it took me so long to make the leap from vegetarian to vegan. I thought I couldn't live without cheese. Then I finally realized that I could make my own cheese! I hunted and tried dozens of vegan mac and cheese recipes and finally found one I liked. After some experimentation with said recipe, I made it even better and came up with a Mac and Cheese I like even more than any non-vegan mac and cheese I've ever had. Since discovering the potential of vegan cheeses I happily cut dairy out of my diet. 

This stuff is amazing. Really. Not to toot my own horn but....TOOT TOOT!

Even my non-vegan nephew and his friends like it. It is super flavorful, but not greasy like dairy Mac and Cheese. It is super filling, so it usually only takes about a cup per person as a full meal! Or serve it as a side dish along with your other favorite dinners!

The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
 Sauce:
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp bottled yellow mustard (it sounds weird, but trust me)
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed
black pepper, to taste

pasta:
8-10oz pasta of your choice (I like to use organic whole wheat penne, or classic organic macaroni noodles. Feel free to use gluten free noodles! The sauce is already gluten free!)
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and diced

optional: add in some steamed broccoli, mushrooms or any other add ins you like

1. If you don't have a high powered blender, soak the cashews in some water for a couple hours before moving on. This will soften them so they get nice and creamy when you do puree them. Once they have soaked, drain the soaking water and continue with the recipe.

2. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Drain (don't rinse) and set aside. You can make the sauce while the pasta cooks to save time.

3. Combine all sauce ingredients and puree until smooth.

4. Pour sauce over pasta and toss in the chopped jalapenos. Stir to combine, and serve.

* To reheat leftovers, pour on about 1/4 cup of water for every 2 cups of pasta you reheat. Microwave and stir to combine. The water will keep the sauce creamy, rather than having it dried out when reheated.