ahhhh, sweet savasana.... i easily hung out at the "gas station" for a good 20 minutes tonight + after re-fueling i had enough energy to whip up a vegan mac + cheese! i ended up taking pieces of recipes from here + there. (oh she glows + cooks dot com have extended versions.) we don't have any cashews in the house so i decided to omit those + mix up a few of the ingredients. it ended up being easier than easy + tasted cheezier than cheesy! we loved it + plan on making it time + time again...with variations here + there, of course. ;) MAC-NO CHEESE (V) (GF if you want it to be) 2 cups of cubed butternut squash pot of H2O salt + pepper 1 tablespoon of miso 1 tablespoon of tahini 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast 2 teaspoons of paprika 1 cup of the "squash water" 1.5 cups of pasta (whatever kind you ♥...we went brown rice shells) another pot of H2O breadcrumbs for your crust/topping. you could certainly omit the breadcrumbs if you're GF or anti-bread--i'm trying to get Frankie on my dairy-free side so we went for whole wheat breadcrumbs this time. :) 1. fill your pot with your squash + cover with water. bring water to boil + then simmer for 15-20 mins until the squash is nice + soft. (you can also steam or bake it!) 2. once cooked through, drain + place in blender with miso, tahini, salt, pepper, paprika, nutritional yeast, and "squash water" ...which is just a cup of water from the pot that the squash boiled in (vegetable broth would work here as well). 3. boil water + pasta while you preheat the oven to 350. 4. blend all of your ingredients until it looks like Kraft Mac. :D 5. mix with pasta + transfer to glass dish. top with breadcrumbs of choice or go naked! it really is yummmmy all by its lonesome. 6. bake at 350 for 15-20 mins. if you want your crust to be extra crispy, mix your breadcrumbs with some Earth Balance in your blender and use that as the topping....not as healthy, but you'll get a few more vegan-questioners on your side. 7. take out when it looks delish + top with salt + pepper. this was so easy--and yummy even without the cashews! totally tasted "cheesy" + really hit the spot. ill add peas or broccoli next time! tonight we had asparagus + greens on the side. kids will absolutely love this dish!! ♥