Mac n’ Cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Peel and thinly slice just half the onion (1 onion) and roughly chop the other half (1 onion). Peel and chop the garlic. Quarter the cremini mushrooms. Add sliced onion, quartered mushrooms, thyme, 1 tbsp (2 tbsp) olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a baking dish and toss. Roast the onion and mushrooms until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped garlic, white miso paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour to the skillet and stir. Add almond milk and tomato powder, whisk, and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta and return to the large pot, off heat.

Add sauce, cheddar cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender. Blend cheese sauce until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Roughly chop the pumpkin seeds. Add chopped pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl, and mix the pepita parmesan.

Add cheese sauce to the large pot with the pasta, and stir. Transfer pasta to the baking dish with the thyme roasted mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle with pepita parmesan and bake until hot and bubbling, 7 to 10 minutes. Divide the mac n’ cheese with thyme roasted mushrooms and tomato cream between large plates. Tuck in!