Description

Before you ask the question: "Why put avocado in mac and cheese?" let us answer it for you. We wondered this same thing before setting out to make a pot. For a vegan spin on a comforting bowl of cheesy pasta, swapping in avocado would make sense, being dairy-free. A little nutritional yeast would add that umami, cheesy flavor to satisfy the craving in a vegan pinch. But, this isn’t a vegan mac and cheese, and it certainly isn’t your mama’s mac and cheese recipe.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 9 minutes.
3. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
4. Then drain, and transfer pasta to a deep bowl; reserve pot.
5. Meanwhile, finely chop half of the cilantro. Pick remaining cilantro leaves from stems; discard stems.
6. Coarsely shred the cheddar cheese.
7. In a small bowl, combine the avocado and lemon juice, and mash with the back of a fork or potato masher until smooth and creamy.
8. Combine the cream cheese, flour and pasta water in the reserved pot over medium heat. Whisk until blended and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add the cheese, then stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until cheese melts and sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour cheese sauce over pasta, and stir until well coated.
11. Stir in the avocado puree and chopped cilantro.
12. Garnish with remaining cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.