Macaroni and Cheese with a Twist

Submitted by Kozmic Blues

"I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks: "The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook" Besides being a great dairy free recipe for "mac and cheese", the flavor of the dish from the miso, tofu and lemon is really unique. It's also a fun way to sneak tofu into the diets of non vegetarians. I do eat dairy, so I usually use skim milk and real cheese instead of the soy, but the original recipe from the book uses the non-dairy options."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cups soymilk (can substitute skim milk)
• 12 ounces soft tofu or 12 ounces silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white miso
• 1 -2 dash hot sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
• salt & freshly ground black pepper (for a nice change, try using fresh ground white pepper)
• 12 ounces rotini pasta (spiral shaped)
• 1 cup grated soy cheese (can substitute cheddar or monteray jack cheese if you eat dairy)
• 1⁄2 cup dried breadcrumbs

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly spray a 2 1/2 quart caserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, and saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Place onions in a blender or food processor with the milk, tofu, lemon juice, miso, hot sauce, turmeric, and salt and pepper.
5. Process until well blended.
6. Take a taste and adjust any of the seasonings as needed, then set aside.
7. Cook rotini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just under al dente (I'd say about 6-7 minutes).
8. Drain pasta and add the sauce from the blender and half of the grated cheese.
9. Combine well.
10. Place pasta into the caserole dish, and top with the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese.
11. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
12. Uncover and bake until the top is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
13. Let sit about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.