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  • Makes 4 bowls
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This gorgeous dish takes vegan mac and cheese to a whole new level and is sure to please the young and not-so-young. Pasta and an assortment of juicy, tender-roasted vegetables get drenched in our velvety Vegan Queso. A sprinkling of Aleppo pepper, a popular spice in the Middle East, adds heat and a subtle sweetness similar to sun-dried tomatoes.

By Shelli McConnell,

Ingredients

  • 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 oz. dry short whole wheat pasta, such as macaroni
  • 1¼ to 1½ cups Vegan Queso
  • 6 cups sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
  • 1 bell pepper, any color, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped (¾ cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup shredded fresh basil
  • ½ teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a 15x10-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spread tomatoes in prepared pan. Roast 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and skins begin to pop. Season with black pepper.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to pot. Add Queso Sauce; toss to coat, adding water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, as needed to make creamy.
  3. Meanwhile, in an extra-large nonstick skillet cook mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and garlic over medium 5 minutes or until tender and any liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
  4. Spoon pasta mixture into bowls. Top with mushroom mixture and tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil and Aleppo pepper.
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8 Comments

Comments (8)

(4 from 7 votes)
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Gail Moulton2 months ago
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Queso sauce ? recipe or a purchased item>

OPDRunner2 months ago
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I made this for this past Thanksgiving dinner. It was absolute beautiful, and tasted equally as horrible. Usually I’m the one with the strong palate that can tolerate even the blandest of foods. This went straight to the trash. Typically FOK has pretty good recipes, and seldom do I run across a bad one. This one, along with another side dish I made for this same dinner ranked amongst my least favorites.

I give it five stars and two thumbs up for appearance, but for flavor….most definitely two thumbs down.

Katherine W.12 months ago
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We have tried MANY versions of vegan Mac and cheese. They literally all failed. This one is outstanding. Even my skeptic kiddos had to admit a thumbs up. Queso for the WIN! For those that struggle with consistency, we all added different amounts of water to get it to our individual preferences. Love the versatility! (My husband and I used the queso over baked potatoes loaded with broccoli- great comfort food!)

Mary2 years ago
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Used the vegan, plant based quest from Costco and added some steamed beet greens. Very good!

Becki Henderson2 years ago
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Although I liked the vegan queso, I didn’t like it on pasta. The texture just didn’t work for me.

aram2 years ago
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All about the Vegan Queso!

Andi2 years ago
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Best oil-free, vegan, nut-free cheese sauce out there! Very flavorful.

aram2 years ago
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totally agree!

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Headshot of Shelli McConnell
about the author

Shelli McConnell

Shelli McConnell graduated with a bachelor of science in consumer food science and a minor in journalism from Iowa State University. She began her career as a home economist in the Better Homes & Gardens test kitchen before moving into an editorial position within DotDash Meredith. She has since freelanced for 25 years and has served as an editorial project manager for many books and magazines, including three editions of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. She has also developed thousands of recipes for publications including Forks Over Knives magazine; Eat This, Not That!; Diabetic Living; Better Homes & Gardens; The Magnolia Journal; and more. McConnell loves to entertain and inspire, so when she’s not in her office, she’s usually in her kitchen. Find her on LinkedIn.

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