Garlic Mac N Cheese

Ingredients

• Garlic

  Raw

  ½ cup or 68g

• Macaroni

  Dry, enriched

  10 oz or 284g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  4 tbsp or 54g

• Garlic

  Raw

  5 cloves, minced or 15g

• Wheat flour

  Whole-grain

  4 tbsp or 30g

• Almond milk

  Plain

  2 ¼ cup or 540g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Parmesan cheese

  Low sodium

  ½ cup, grated or 50g

• Nutritional Yeast

  Vegan - Whole Foods Market

  5 tbsp or 38g

• Bread crumbs

  Dry, grated, plain

  ¼ cup or 27g

Directions

1. To roast garlic, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and cut off the very top of a head of garlic. Drizzle the top with a bit of oil, a sprinkle of salt, and loosely wrap in foil.
2. Place directly on oven rack and roast for 45 minutes - 1 hour, depending on size of garlic. You'll know it's done when the garlic is very fragrant and the bulb appears soft and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. To prepare pasta, add macaroni to a large pot of boiling, well-salted water. Stir to prevent noodles from sticking, and boil according to package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and cover with a towel to keep moist - set aside.
4. To prepare sauce, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add 4 tbsp oil and minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until light golden brown.
5. Immediately add 4 tbsp flour and whisk; cook for 1 minute. (Later on, if the sauce is not thick enough, add an extra 1 tbsp later on during the blending process).
6. Add almond milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to prevent clumps, until 2 cups have been added. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. (Add the additional 1/4 cup almond milk later on if the sauce appears too thick.)
7. Transfer sauce to a blender and add roasted garlic (squeeze from base to push out cloves), 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed - you want it pretty well salted and cheesy, so don't be shy.
8. Return sauce back to skillet and cook over low heat until warmed and slightly thickened - about 2-3 minutes.
9. Add cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat. Then top with 1 more tbsp nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs.
10. Broil on high on the top rack of your oven for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown (see photo). Watch closely as it can burn quickly.
11. Serve immediately.
12. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop; add extra almond milk if it's dry.
13. Recipe inspired by: https://minimalistbaker.com/garlic-mac-n-cheese/

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