Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese (Easy Recipe)

Pumpkin Puree
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Rinse and dry the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in a half (or quarters), then cut off the ends. Scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon.
Place the pumpkin halves (or quarters) cut-side-down on a lightly greased baking sheet or baking dish. Brush the pumpkin with a little bit of oil and bake until the pulp is soft, about 25-50 minutes (depending on the size of your pumpkin).
Remove the skin if needed, then blend the soft pumpkin pulp in a blender until creamy (or use an immersion stick blender).

Soak Cashews for at least 3 hours (or up to overnight). Then drain and rinse with fresh water. (Alternatively, simply cook them in a pot for about 10-15 minutes).

Cook pasta according package instructions to 'al dente'.

In the meantime, make the sauce:

Heat up oil in a small pan and roast garlic for about 1-2 minutes.

Add softened cashews along with water, pumpkin, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water, if the sauce is too thick.

Drain pasta, put back into the pot, pour sauce over and heat everything up while stirring occasionally.

Season again to taste, and top off with fresh chopped parsley and vegan parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!