Our beloved mac and cheese has been there when we needed it most – childhood crafts, university dinners on a budget, it’s even followed us into adulthood in the most sophisticated of forms (truffle and lobster MC – we raise a glass to your delectable medley).

This vegan sweet potato and lemon mac and cheese dish gives old faithful a makeover with a dairy-free “cheese” sauce – using high-protein cashew nuts, gut-supporting miso paste and fibrous sweet potato (yes, all three contain calcium) for a nutrient-dense comfort meal that builds strong bones.

It’s no wonder social media’s darling has over 1.5 million posts on Instagram – we’ll say (vegan) cheese for that.

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 small or 1 large sweet potato

1 cup canned coconut milk

1/2 cup cashews (soaked with hot water)

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 tbsp white miso paste

1/2 tbsp mustard

1/2 tbsp onion 

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

Salt 

FOR THE PASTA: 

14 oz bag of pasta (any kind) 

1/2 to 1 cup of water 

Soak cashews overnight in hot water. 

Dice and boil or steam the sweet potato until soft (peeling is optional).

Add sweet potato purée to a food processor or blender, along with soaked and rinsed cashews, coconut milk, lemon juice and all seasoning. 

Blend until very smooth.

Cook macaroni and make sure to reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining.

Add enough of the pasta water to the sauce and blend until it reaches your desired consistency.

Mix sauce with the hot pasta.

Image and recipe courtesy of Alexandra Paska of @plantbased.traveler

Want more simple and nutritious recipes? Follow @StrongWomenUK on Instagram for the latest workouts, delicious recipes and motivation from your favourite fitness experts.