Easiest Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Cauliflower (so you can go ahead and feel smug anyway!)

You want mac & cheese… oh but you shouldn’t (for some reason)… but with this recipe, you absolutely should! It’s made with little to no fat/oil, it has vegetables in it, it’s all in one pot and takes no time at all.

The concept is simple and based upon this recipe; you’ll basically cook the pasta in very little water, without first letting the water boil and cook the broccoli and cauliflower in the same pot, simultaneously with the pasta.

I served this with crispy tofu and topped it with vegan parmesan, which you can make yourself or buy from the likes of Good Carma, which is what I used in this case.

Recipe after the photo. Serves two. And click here if you want the recipe for crispy tofu!

Ingredients

• 200g pasta (in this case, I used these conchigliette/mini shells)
• 150-200g cauliflower & broccoli florets mixed (or 1 packet if you’re buying a pre-made mix from your local supermarket)
• 500ml water
• glug of olive oil (optional)
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 3-4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (more or less, as you prefer)
• Pepper to taste

Method

In a medium-sized sauce pan, place the pasta, salt, vegetables and water (and a glug of olive oil if you fancy). Cover. Do not stir yet because the pasta needs to cook a bit first.
Turn the heat to high and let it all come to a boil. Turn down the heat to simmering. Once you see the broccoli has turned bright green, stir. Let it continue to simmer and stir from time to time.

You will see the pasta water getting cloudier and whiter. That’s a good sign. The pasta will absorb the water and that will make it creamy. Taste the pasta to make sure it’s cooking properly. As the cooking progresses, the vegetables are breaking apart and becoming part of the sauce. That’s another good thing!

There should be no water left in your saucepan. Once the pasta has cooked, add the nutritional yeast, stir and serve, sprinkling vegan parmiggiano and/or pepper if you like.

The entire dish should take between 10-20 minutes to cook, depending on your cooker/size of pasta/etc.