- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 6 cups
- Serving size: 1½ cups
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Spiced butternut squash blended with nutritional yeast and a little plant milk makes a delightfully rich and “cheesy” sauce for pasta and broccoli. Pumpkin, acorn squash, or delicata squash will also work in this recipe.
To make this recipe gluten-free, chose a whole grain pasta made with rice, corn, and/or quinoa.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (1¾ lb.)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups dried whole grain penne pasta (8 oz.)
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Peel squash; halve squash and remove seeds. Cut squash into large pieces. Place squash pieces in a steamer basket in a large pan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, about 12 minutes or until tender.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, and ¼ cup water to pan. Cook about 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 Tbsp. at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
- Transfer onion mixture to a blender. Add squash and the next five ingredients (through pepper). Cover and blend until smooth. Pour squash mixture into a large saucepan.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli the last 5 minutes of cooking; drain. Add drained pasta and broccoli to squash mixture; toss to coat. Serve warm topped with fresh basil.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1½ cups): 344 calories, 66 g carbohydrates, 14.3 g protein, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 167 mg sodium, 6.8 g fiber, 5.6 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
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Comments (124)
(5 from 66 votes)I did not read the comments before making this recipe. Saying that, I made a few adjustments such as I added the cubed butternut squash after sautéing the onion, garlic and thyme, I left it in the pan, covered until the squash was almost tender, then I uncovered the pan and allowed the liquid to evaporate until there was only about half a cupful or so of liquid left in the pan. (Even if you steam the squash, it still contains a lot of liquid.) Then added all the other ingredients and used a stick blender. I thought it was a good sauce recipe. You can add more ingredients and have as a soup if you wanted to, just add some stock and roasted red peppers from a jar, pinch of cayenne pepper and a little smoked paprika before blending and serve with a swirl of vegan natural yogurt. I found the sauce to be thick enough to coat the pasta. I gave mine a swirl of sriracha once served in the dish. I think this is a nice recipe. I do have plenty of sauce left so I will use with spaghetti and maybe add peas too. It’s easy to adapt to your own liking - thank you for the recipe.
This was so, so bland even though I added garlic powder, onion powder, tons of red pepper flakes, and more salt. Just not a great flavor and my palate is quite accustomed to WFPB diet so can't blame that! I wish I'd read some of the suggestions beforehand, I really don't think I'll try it again (no one in my family could even finish one serving). I do agree with some comments that I'd rather use one of my go-to fake queso recipes and just add pasta and broccoli.
I had more sauce than needed, so I added oat milk because I was out of almond milk and some white mayo and a drizzle of maple syrup and made a soup soup out of the leftover sauce. It was pretty good.
I just made this. It’s delicious but needed more nutritional yeast & salt.
I only had Oat milk, and the sauce was very watery. Not sure if 2 cups was too much or if it was the consistency of oat milk. But what a great recipe! I also used Garbanzo Bean Macaroni for more protein.
Someone stated in a post that they make oat yogurt. I would love to have a recipes for that if you would not mind sharing.
Is it possible to leave out the nutritional yeast?
After reading all the comments, I was nervous of the sweetness factor. Instead I added half a roasted acorn squash to the Forks Over Knives Queso https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-sauces-condiments/vegan-queso-sauce/ It was good.
Thank you for your recipe. I know when I started eating a WFPB diet it was hard as there wasn’t the junk in it and but I felt better after eating it. Because it’s real food. I would like to encourage others to adjust the recipe to suit your taste buds and sharing your additions to help others stay on the path of healthier eating. As Chef John says, “you’ll be the winner of how you make your own dinner”.
I made this with silken tofu plus just enough soy milk to get it to thr consistency I wanted. I thought it was too bland, so added 2 tablespoons of white miso and a bit of liquid smoke, as well as smoked paprika and lemon juice and cider. It was so delicious, that I ate some with crackers and some mixed with tomato salsa and tortilla chips chips. I will make batches of this to then serve in various ways. I cooked chickpea pasta to up my protein when I ate it as intended.
I've not made this recipe yet but wanted to read the comments/suggestions before doing so. Lots of folks mentioned it being too sweet and not savory enough. A suggestion is to consider adding store-bought "poultry seasoning" which is a mixture of spices that add savory flavors. One can also add Better Than Bouillon to deepen the flavoring: https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/seasoned-vegetable-base/?srsltid=AfmBOoqkM-o3FPPwIPgZhQm1W7ZTcmIf8ABcoy9BkN8UkoU8Gf5dYVU_ Better Than Bouillon also has an entire line of vegan/vegetarian bouillon flavorings: https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/our-products/?group=vegetarian They can be high in salt but they also have low salt versions of some products. I am not affiliated with them, just want to share some helpful tips.
You did not have to give a one star though. I thought that was kind of cheesy. Someone was nice enough to share a recipe.
I’m going to be completely honest, although I’ve only been on the plant-based diet for only two weeks now. This recipe was super tough for me. I tried to spruce up the “butternut cheese sauce” by adding more white wine vinegar, salt, and nutritional yeast. But it just didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t even finish the meal. I’ve seen other recipes where people have used nuts like cashews and water and mixed it into a blender, so I’m going to try that as a “cheese sauce” next. Super sad, this one just didn’t do it for me. I also don’t have a sweet tooth so the sweetness from the butternut squash was too over powering for me. Thank you for the thoughtful recipe but my taste buds did not enjoy this unfortunately
I also don't have a sweet tooth and found the sweetness off-putting for mac and "cheese". I loved the idea and texture though, so I tried various modifications to cut the sweetness. Adding more acid (lemon juice or vinegar) didn't work for me at all, and I even tried lactic acid powder. Blending in a handful of cashews helped some, but I sure don't need all those extra calories. Another time I had a half can of white beans in the fridge I needed to use, and a bag of already steamed yellow potatoes, so I tossed the beans and a few little potatoes into the blender along with the other ingredients, and added a big dollop of homemade oat yogurt and a small squirt of dijon, which both cut and masked the sweetness. Suited my tastes much better. I get why recipes trying to stand-in for forbidden favorites are named after them, but I also think getting set up for the expectation of same is usually pretty disappointing. I really do like butternut squash, but not as an imposter for "cheese"; there are other sauces I prefer for that. This is one of them right here... https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-sauces-condiments/vegan-queso-sauce/
..searching for vegan recipe for a long time…I will never cook regular Mac and cheese again this is so good with broccoli! Thank you for this recipe!! ..reduced the salt and sub yeast with coconut amino acid.
I made this after reviewing the comments. Only used 1 cup of almond milk. Perfect consistency. I also roasted the squash in the oven (with some garlic powder) as opposed to steaming it. Great flavor. I did not find it to be too sweet. A great recipe with some minor tweaks.
I made this today and it was delicious! I used unsweetened almond milk.
love love love this recipe. Highly recommend reading the comments for lots of ideas for variations
I used Kabocha squash and one cup of milk omitted the vinegar. Add extra nutritional yeast. It was very delicious. Add milk as needed 😋
This was wayyyy too sweet. We felt like we were eating “pudding pasta.” My son loved it, but my husband and I had to muscle through it. Won’t be making this again.
I make this often. I use a 12 ounce package of frozen butternut squash cubes (I cut the recipe in half for the two of us), and add mushrooms. The thyme didn’t do it for me so I use curry powder instead.
My changes include add half the amount of milk, roast a Kuri squash, roast a head of garlic and the best part: stir in roasted walnuts just before serving.
Can I make this without yeast and vinegar? Thanks!
Yummy, but too soupy! I would add only one cup of milk instead of two. I used a whole box 12oz. of Jovial GF fusilli which has been the best GF pasta I have found to date. Of course I added a little extra salt and pepper! I wonder about putting some chili flakes for a little heat. Maybe next time!
What a great recipe! Used frozen sweet potatoes, two 10 oz bags, cooked in microwave for recommended time. Everything else followed as written. Used julienned snow peas instead of broccoli, and love, love, love this recipe! I prefer this Mac and “cheese” version over the cashew one. I’m really loving learning to cook all over again with fok!
Found this recipe to be disappointing. Read the other reviews that were helpful, but the butternut squash was too sweet. It tasted better the next day, but I will not make this again.
Delicious!! I added one more table spoon of nutritional yeast and instrad of broccoli i used spinach and extra garlic its delicious and healthy!!
This is a great recipe, but I highly recommend you use kabocha or kuri squash instead. Kuri squash in particular has a lovely creamy consistency that will make for a better sauce. Also, if you have time to roast the squash instead of boil, I think it tastes better. I roasted my squash, added it to cashew milk as it was heating in a saucepan, mashed it (an immersion blender works well here), till it was to my liking. Also start with less milk than you think you'll need and add more as you go.
My son made it for me and it was great!
Why won't this recipe print or any of the recipes from the email received from FOKs dated May 13, 2023 @ 11:08. "MOST POPULAR FOK RECIPES OUR TOP 25 FAN-FAVORITES"?
I used doubled the yeast and added vegetable stock tablets for a more "cheesy" taste, I also put the blended mixture back in a pot on the oven to thicken a little before adding the pasta and broccoli, it tastes great.
After reading the other reviews, I only added 1 cup of oat milk. That have me perfect clingy texture. It was a little sweet but after adding extra salt and pepper it was good. I'm at the beginning of my wfpb journey so hopefully after my taste buds adjust I won't need so much salt.
So yummy. I didn’t realize we were out of broccoli until it was time to add it, so I used spinach instead. It was great.
When I have too much of a soupy version I add some oatmeal, perhaps a cup ground in food processor. Then because of it being mac and cheese, more nutritional yeast. Then I sprinkle to taste between 1/8 to 1/4 tsp: sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, ginger, curry, dry mustard, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. Lemon juice works for me too. It zings up the taste buds.
If you try this recipe again, add a sweet potato and perhaps less squash. The touch of sweetness is really nice.
BeautifuL!!! Thank you!!
Anyone know the calorie count for this?
This recipe definitely didn't do it for me. I don't know why I keep expecting miracles from vegan recipes. This did not taste cheesy at all. It's my first time using nutritional yeast as a "cheesy" substitute and I'll probably never use it again.
I’m finding the recipes on this site bland as well. There’s a lot of vegan Mac n cheese out there that are super tasty. Just don’t expect them to taste exactly like cheese. Keep searching!
I always add Franks hot sauce- you can’t go wrong (I put that $h*t on everything)
Violife Parmesan cheese is a great substitute for nutritional yeast. You could purchase it at Fresh Thyme in your area. Substituting the white wine vinegar with fresh lemon juice gives it a clean and fresh taste. At times when I find a recipe, I tweak it with flavors I like.
Keep trying :) I find it gets better and better as your taste buds get a custom to good food :)
I'm a part time vegan but 2 of my kids are plus 2 grand kids. I've found the Non Fortified nutritional yeast is by far the best tasting. The fortified has B vitamins added and yuck, it's awful. Plus I don't call it cheese or Mac n cheese. For my non vegans this conjures up a certain look and taste. I just call it creamy pasta.
Used 1 1/2 cups of almond milk instead of 2. Perfect consistency and delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!
Was pretty good. Took others comments into account and added more nutritional yeast, used lemon juice instead of vinegar, added some hot sauce, used leeks instead of onion, but still a bit bland and soupy. Added some chopped Kale with broccoli. Needs something else.....
It was pretty good. I did add more nutritional yeast and hot sauce.
Nutmeg and cayenne
How many cups of cubed squash would that be?
Can i substitute nutritional yeast or leave out all together?
Why can these recipes not be printable
It is. At the top of the article is a print/save button. Click on that and it will open it as a pdf. Hold your curser near the bottom of the page and a little box with four options should open. The last, the down arrow, is the download button. Click that and download to your desktop or downloads folder. (I'm using safari but it works in Chrome browser too. In Chrome in the new window that opens, the download button is the down arrow at the top of the screen.
That’s always annoying! They are printable from the app at least
And to print, in the new screen that opens, in Chrome there should be a print button and in Safari go to File at the very top of the browser bar, click that and then click print
Agreed. It's ridiculous. As to the suggestion in a reply to your comment, using the file>print function (at least in Safari) results in a ridiculously wonky printout with giant empty spaces, overlapping type, instructions cut off or left out, and having to figure out which pages you need because otherwise it will print the entire webpage (upwards of 30 pages of paper).
There is a print recipe option at the top of the recipe. I just saved it as a pdf.
It’s printable- select print/save, then open in browser, then print like you would from your phone
Because my husband and I will be attending a Thanksgiving dinner and we are now plant-based, I'll be trying this recipe to bring for us. Glad I read all of the other comments as it'll give me a better idea for what to add and what to change. THANKS!
MAKE IT 2 WEEKS BEFORE, this is not a one and done! See comments about soupy and bland.
Made this last night using suggestions by other commenters. Doubled up on the nutritional yeast and only used one cup of milk. Added hot sauce and some Taijin seasoning. It tasted pretty darn good. I'd make it again.
THIS is so delicious! Honestly, I was doubtful but wow was I 100% wrong. I will definitely prepare this again!
I followed the directions exactly, and it was WAY too soupy. Any suggestions for thickening it up so this whole batch isn’t wasted? Thank you.
You can always add flour to the sauce. There's also either cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
Just add more nutritional yeast. I put 6-8 tablespoons in my “cheese” sauces, along with plenty of sea salt, black pepper, a teaspoon of Miso, a heaped tsp or two of onion and garlic granules. For extra richness you can also add some soya cream (i use Alpro or Oatly).
Good! Really needed more salt and mine was a little too soupy . But I used peas instead of broccoli which would have taken up more volume. But I love butternut squash, so I loved the taste.
Trying it, looks good.
I really enjoyed this meal, and will make it again. As others stated, it was a bit bland. I did what one suggested and doubled the Nutritional Yeast. Then when I heated it to eat again, I sprinkled more Nutrtional Yeast, Onion Powder, and Thyme.
Pretty good! Play with the seasoning to ensure you get it right. I added a little crushed red pepper for some heat and a lot more “nooch”. I also added sage. That helped.
Have been wanting to find a good vegan mac and cheese recipe and this fills the spot. Easy to prepare. I used acorn squash as that is what I had on hand. It all came together so easily.
What are nutrients values?
Can you use Yellow summer squash?
They are two different types of squash so I'm not certain that would be a good substitute.
As a southern gal who grew up on yellow summer squash, I'd say no. The water content in summer squash is much higher than in winter squash.
OK this was really good. I did doctor it up a little bit though, I didn’t have any plant-based milk so I used a can of coconut cream. Everything else was pretty much the same I also added the franks hot sauce like some of the other readers commented. I will make this again.
Beautiful - the colors are radiant. I love Broccoli, I love Butternut Squash, and I Love Pasta! I am in the third week of a 6 week juice fast and I am adding this recipe to the list of those I will be making after my cleanse is over. Thank you for posting it!
I made this to bring to work and I like it. Added a little extra nutritional yeast and vinegar. The basil really makes it for me. I'm going to add chickpeas and eat it with a side of broccoli when I go to work.
I like your addition of chickpeas! When I make it I may add sweet peas, too, or maybe 1 inch cuts of steamed fresh green beans.
Chick peas is the move!Oh and playing with the spices. I like coconut and oat milk but someone suggested coconut cream. That’s what I used. Very good! Great recipe!!! Glad I bought that squash even though I decided not to make what I’d planned.
I was looking forward to try this recipe, but I must say I'm disappointed. The dish was way too bland, I was hoping for a deeper, more cheezy taste.Maybe with less milk and more nutritional yeast it would be better. But it definitely needs something to spice it up.
Thank you for this recipe. I wanted to try this because I love squash. It wasn't a fantastic dish but it wasn't bad either. It definitely needs some extra spice. I added some garlic powder, onion powder, and next time maybe some veggie broth while cooking the onions instead of water. I used the whole wheat elbows which is new for me also, getting used to that flavor. (my kids don't like the wheat pastas). It made a lot for just me eating it so I froze some hoping it will be good later. I'm new to plant based eating but open to try most any recipe.
I made this and it was super delicious! I will definitely add it to my plant-based recipe collection. I used about 800g of cubed butternut (we use the metric system in Namibia where I'm from), and my sauce had the perfect consistency and clung to the pasta very well.u
Very tasty recipe. I roasted the cubed butternut squash instead of steaming it, and used oat milk. Yes, it is very saucy, but it is yummy squash puree, so all is forgiven.
Best vegan Mac and cheese recipe I've made so far. It made alot of sauce. Next time I'll make twice as much pasta I think. A little bland but nothing some hot sauce couldn't fix
I don't think I'll make this again. The sauce was grainy and didn't cover the pasta, just sunk down to the bottom. I also had to add more seasoning.
I love pasta, mac and cheese and broccoli, but I really don't like squash. And sub suggestions or is it a bust for me?
It works well with sweet potato and potato mix or just sweet potato. Carrot might work too.
We love this recipe. I didn’t have broccoli so I used carrots instead and it is so good. We will be having this again and again. I have also shared it with other, even if they are not plant based.
This is not my favorite FoK recipe. I added lots more vegetables and some hot sauce.
Tasty and easy! I made a few modifications based on the reviews. I reduced the amount of oat milk to 1 cup, used a jar of pumpkin puree instead of butternut squash (lazy weeknight!), substituted lemon juice for the vinegar, and also roasted the onion, garlic, and broccoli in the oven. I topped the pasta with toasted pine nuts, a spring of rosemary, and chopped red chilis which added a nice spice. I'll definitely make this one again.
Thanks for this review and all your tips! I’m going to try your suggestions :)
Linda, what size can of pumpkin puree did you use? Thanks!
Easy to make and quite surprisingly creamy. It won't replace exactly the flavour of what you expect from a mac and cheese but enjoying it as an alternative and being open to trying something different, this delivers! It was a bit on the sweet side so I added a little more white wine vinegar and some miso paste. A tasty and healthy alternative to a comforting dish. We will definitely make again!
It was delicious! Made a lot of sauce, so asking if can be frozen?
Not made but will try for sure...could I sub low fat COCONUT milk/cream?
The sauce was sweet and an unusual taste… I added a bit of Frank’s hot sauce to counteract but ultimately I ended up adding tomato sauce and it was actually very good, just not a Mac n cheese dish
As someone who didn't grow up with mac and cheese I really had no expectations and found this recipe to be better than anticipated (only roughly stuck to the proportions given though). The sauce was creamy and extremely filling (had it over leftover rice and steamed vegetables) and I didn't mind the sweet taste of the butternut squash. I substituted the plant milk with a couple of teaspoons of cashew butter and water. Next time I will use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Thyme wasn't at hand. Nutmeg might be good in this recipe. The only thing I didn't enjoy so much about this sauce was the oniony aftertaste due to the onions being cooked rather than fried/sautéed.
Wouldn’t normally take the time to comment but this was delicious! Will add more yeast and add salt at the table to taste. Creamy and nourishing!
This tastes delicious! Added less plant-based milk because it would have been too much. Was still plenty!
I didn’t know what to expect out of this but it was better than I thought. I, like others, added more spice as I felt it was a bit bland. I also added more pasta too to have a better pasta/sauce ratio.
Sadly, this recipe didn't do it for me. Even with unsweetened milked, this meal tasted sweet and not savory. Also, it might be helpful to suggested squash quantity rather than "medium" as it I felt like there was too much squash. I am never a fan when I have to throw out food (grew up in a family where this was a practically a sin), but this meal could not be eatened.
I’ve made this recipe many times. Delicious!
New to this, I knew it wasn't going to be what I'm used to, but I do love my veggies. I felt it had way too much onion in it. Towards the end of my bowl, that's all I tasted. I also think it needs another seasoning added to it. Other than that, it was very healthy.
Wayyyy too much milk in this recipe. It came out more like squash soup with pasta and broccoli in it. That said, it was tasty. I would just use about half the amount of milk next time.
Love butternut squash.
This was simple to make but the flavor was a little too sweet for the family.
How many calories does this have per serving?
I really wanted to love this! I felt it was too much sauce to pasta ratio and it wasn’t a bold enough flavour for me, maybe with less milk would have been better and more nutritional yeast. Thankyou for the recipe, Nice to give it a try, just wasn’t for me :)
Really yummy! I've made another vegan Mac & cheese before and it was not half as delicious as this one. Great texture as well. And I like that it incorporates broccoli, which includes a green vegetable.
When is the vinegar added? I can't se it in the instructions.
In point 3 the instruction is "add the next five ingredients", this includes the vinegar.
I made this and it is divine! I replace vinegar with lemon juice. I never use the yeast. It was superb!
This is absolutely delicious!! Is the nutritional information available?
Making a roux to mix in with the butter squash will give it more creaminess. I also add nutmeg and a splash of maggi or liquid aminos for a better taste.
A very tasty and healthy recipe. Not too complicated to make. Great for taking to work and reheating too.
Even when I was not a vegetarian or a vegan I put broccoli, or cauliflower, in my macaroni and cheese. I can't wait to make this!
Can't wait to try this!
Wondering if I can use frozen butternut squash??
Absolutely
Never thought it would be this good!
What a lovely, creamy dish. This dish was very easy to make, and tasted great, I will definitely make this again
This was delicious! 10/10 will make again!
Yummy comfort food
This dish is delicious. I’m the only vegan in my household and getting my husband and kids on board can be a challenge. This dish is a hit with my entire family. Including my father who is a diehard vegan critic
My kids and I love this! I use elbow style macaroni and plenty of broccoli.
I have no idea why broccoli is so good with cheese but it is - and that nutritional yeast always gives food a nice cheesy flavor!