Best Ever Vegan Mac and Cheese Sauce with Chipotle

For the Sauce

• 1 cup Cashews raw, soaked for at least one hour, drained
• 1 3/4 cup Water
• 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Miso Paste white
• 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice fresh
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• dash Turmeric Powder
• pinch Chili Flakes optional

For the Nut/Seed Topping

• 1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds raw
• 4 Brazil Nuts or sub raw almonds or walnuts
• 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• pinch Sea Salt

For the Pasta

• 8 oz Chickpea Shell Pasta sub any other type of pasta
• 6-7 Kale Leaves de-stemmed, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp Chives chopped

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Make the Sauce

1. Prepare the cheese sauce by adding the drained cashews along with all other sauce ingredients and blend on high until smooth. It will be a little watery, that's ok!

Make the Nut/Seed Topping

1. In a blender or food processor, add the nut/seed ingredients and pulse until it is combined and still a little chunky. Set aside.

For the Pasta

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC).
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook slightly less than the package directions, by about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and then the kale. Cook until just wilted. Add the pasta back to the pot and then add the cheese sauce (you may have some leftover). Add to a baking dish and then add the nut/seed topping on top. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes on high, until just slightly crispy and browned looking. Serve and enjoy!

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