Hearty Vegan Pasta & Cheese

Name: Hearty Vegan Pasta & Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 12 ounces extra firm tofu; 12 -16 ounces pasta (one standard box, size depends on shape); 1 lb frozen mixed vegetables (I like the Florentine mix); 1/4 cup frozen diced onion; 1/4 cup frozen peas; 2 tablespoons vegan margarine (I use Soy Free Earth Balance); 2 tablespoons flour; 1 1/2 cups plain soymilk; 8 ounces vegan cheddar cheese (Daiya cheddar-style shreds recommended, rice based); 1 -2 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste); 2 teaspoons oregano (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (or to taste)

Submitted by thothep

"I started at just a loaded mac & cheese because packaged was lacking, and slowly shifted as I went lactose-intolerant and then got more vegan friends..."

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Ready In:: 5mins
Ingredients:: 13
Serves:: 8

ingredients

12 ounces extra firm tofu
12 -16 ounces pasta (one standard box, size depends on shape)
1 lb frozen mixed vegetables (I like the Florentine mix)
¹⁄₄ cup frozen diced onion
¹⁄₄ cup frozen peas
Sauce
2 tablespoons vegan margarine (I use Soy Free Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cups plain soymilk
8 ounces vegan cheddar cheese (Daiya cheddar-style shreds recommended, rice based)
1 -2 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste)
2 teaspoons oregano (or to taste)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground mustard (or to taste)

directions

1. dice tofu, lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or oil, spread tofu in a single layer, lightly spray. Bake at 400F 20-30 minutes, till most edges are browning.
2. fill large pot with 6-8 cups of water, the frozen veg and a dash of garlic salt, bring to boil, add pasta, cook according to package (usually between six and 10 minutes depending on shape), drain well.
3. melt butter in medium sauce pan, stir in flour (make roux), add soy milk, stir/whisk well to remove lumps of roux, heat to low simmer stirring frequently, add Daiya shreds and seasonings, stir regularly until 'cheese' is melted.
4. return pasta/veg to large pot, add roasted tofu, pour sauce over and stir well to combine, if you feel like you want more sauce add soy milk and stir over low heat until it blends inches.
An important note is all measurements that don't use a whole package are approximate -- I eyeball everything when making this.
And if you want to go backwards, almost everything is a direct substitute: tofu used to be diced ham, and I always used a blend of cheddar and whatever other cheeses were in my fridge at the time.
Warning: I have tried this with an almond cheese, too -- it looked like Kraft Mac & Cheese, but had almost no flavour! Even after I more than doubled the seasonings -- .

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

thothep

2 Recipes

I was born in England and grew up in the USA. I would say I definitely turned out a blend of at least those two cultures. I'm a long-term undergrad studying psychology. I nearly switched to cooking school a couple years ago, but I honestly don't think I have the ambition to push myself forward in a commercial kitchen. I find myself quite happy making dinner several times a week for a small group of good friends (and they keep coming back for more, so I must be doing something right). I do have a slight addiction to the cookbooks at the checkout line... I've bought dozens and they're full of notes on how to improve the recipes. I also enjoy writing and an assortment of forms of artistic expression (painting, sculpting, sewing, etc). My current artistic obsession is doll collecting/customizing.

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