Cheesy pasta (vegan)

I have been building up to this pasta dish with my 3 previous recipes (Cajun sausage, cheese sauce, butter), and it’s all vegan.

I could have simply cook the pasta and dunk the cheese sauce in there, but I’ve never been into simple recipes like that. So I went on to add pumpkin and mushrooms.

This cheesy pasta will keep you company for any mood that you are in. And that puts a smile on my face to see what can come from utilizing plant-based ingredients creatively.

Ingredients needed:
3 cups of cheese sauce (vegan)
16 oz of pasta of your choice
2 cups of dice pumpkin
1 cup of dice mushrooms
salt to taste
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of paprika
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
2 slice scallions
2 tbsp of vegan butter

Start by cooking the pumpkin. Put the pumpkin in a pot of water and add a pinch of salt and boil it for about 10 minutes or until it’s cooked through, covered. Dice the pumpkin when it’s done cooking. And of course take the seeds and skin off.

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a wet paper towel. Don’t put the mushrooms under running water. Afterwards, dice the mushrooms and set them aside. Slice the scallions. Slice the fresh thyme or pick the leaves off the stem.

Get the pasta water going while you’ll be cooking the pumpkins and mushrooms. Put a big pot of water (big enough for the pasta to swim in) on high heat, add a tbsp of salt and let it come to a boil. No need to add oil.

In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp of vegan butter. Add the diced pumpkin, cover the skillet and let them cook for 1 minute. Then, add the diced mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and let them cook for 2 minutes.

At that point, the pasta water should start to boil. Add the pasta to its water and mix them in. Cook the pasta al dente (follow the instructions on the package). When the pasta is done cooking strain the water, and do not run cold water under them. Just let them be.

Add the spices to the mushrooms (black pepper, paprika, fresh thyme and sliced scallions). You can chop the thyme; but I usually pick the leaves off the stem. Let them cook for about 30 seconds and then turn the flame off.

In a large dish, bowl, plate (whatever you want to use) mix the pumpkin mixture to the pasta. Pour a warm vegan cheese sauce on the pasta and mix it in.
Serve warm.

Enjoy
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