Vegan Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Tofu

This vegan mac and cheese consists of butternut squash cheese sauce tossed with pasta that’s topped with an addictive buffalo tofu crumble! Perfect vegan recipe for game night, date night, or for feeding hungry kids or teenagers! 

Who’s in the mood for a vegan butternut squash mac and cheese with buffalo tofu? I know I am- it feels like an appropriate way to start off this February week. This pasta dish consists of a creamy roasted butternut squash “cheese” sauce that is combined with pasta and topped off with baked buffalo tofu crumbles. Remarkably, these tofu crumbles resemble actual ground meat in texture, since baking dehydrates the tofu and makes it incredibly chewy! Who knew? I have the talented Sam at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken to thank for the inspiration on this front. 

So, without further ado, here is the breakdown of the recipes and instructions you need to make this delicious vegan pasta feast! 

vegan Mac and cheese with buffalo tofu ingredients

The recipe consists of two components: The butternut squash “cheese” sauce, and the buffalo tofu crumbles. 

• FOR THE “CHEESE” SAUCE: Butternut squash, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sea salt, pepper, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. 
• FOR THE BUFFALO TOFU CRUMBLES: Firm or extra-firm tofu, hot sauce, extra-virgin olive oil (or melted vegan butter or regular butter for a more authentic flavour), and garlic. 

how to make it

1. Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cubed squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until fork tender. 
2. Make the buffalo tofu crumbles: Crumble the tofu by hand into a medium bowl. Whisk together the hot sauce, garlic, and oil or melted butter in a small dish and pour over the tofu. Toss to coat. Transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through so that it gets evenly browned. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the garlic: Warm the oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
4. Once the squash has cooled slightly, you’re ready to make the butternut squash cheese sauce. Place the non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, cooked garlic, roasted squash, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you might need to do this in two batches. Adjust seasonings as desired: Feel free to add more salt, lemon, or vinegar to suit your taste. Pour into a medium saucepan, cover loosely, and warm over low heat. 
5. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. I used fusilli, but feel free to use macaroni for a more authentic mac and cheese. 
6. Right before serving, pour desired amount of cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to coat. Depending on how saucy you like it, you might not need all of it- but the sauce gets absorbed by the pasta quite quickly, so it’s always nice to have extra. 
7. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with the buffalo tofu crumbles, fresh parsley, and some vegan parmesan, if desired. 

what to serve alongside this pasta dish

We enjoyed it with a salad that I will be sharing on Wednesday- a roasted beet and broccoli salad- but any simple green salad with vinaigrette would do well to offset the rich, creamy nature of the macaroni and cheese. 

more vegan pasta recipes 

• Vegan Date Night Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
• Cilantro Jalapeno Avocado Pesto Pasta with Corn and Beans
• Vegan Avocado Pasta with Parmesan-Roasted Chickpeas

I hope that you love this vegan macaroni and cheese with buffalo tofu! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below this post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy! 

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Vegan Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Tofu

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Allison
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This vegan mac and cheese consists of butternut squash cheese sauce tossed with pasta that’s topped with an addictive buffalo tofu crumble! Perfect vegan recipe for game night, date night, or for feeding hungry kids or teenagers!

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Ingredients

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Butternut Squash “Cheese” Sauce

• 6 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (1-inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Pinch each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 ½–3 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (as needed)
• ¾ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

Buffalo Tofu

• 1 block (450 grams) firm or extra-firm tofu, crumbled
• ¼ cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce (this is the only brand that I have tried, and I recommend it- it’s not too hot, just perfect for this recipe)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted vegan butter (or regular butter if you eat it)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced

 

• 454 grams uncooked pasta of choice

FOR SERVING

• Fresh parsley
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese 

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Instructions

1. Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cubed squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until fork tender.
2. Make the buffalo tofu crumbles: Crumble the tofu by hand into a medium bowl. Whisk together the hot sauce, garlic, and oil or melted butter in a small dish and pour over the tofu. Toss to coat. Transfer onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through so that it gets evenly browned.
3. Meanwhile, cook the garlic: Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Once the squash has cooled slightly, you’re ready to make the butternut squash cheese sauce. Place the non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, cooked garlic, roasted squash, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you might need to do this in two batches. Adjust seasonings as desired: Feel free to add more salt, lemon, or vinegar to suit your taste. Pour into a medium saucepan, cover loosely, and warm over low heat.
5. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. I used fusilli, but feel free to use macaroni for a more authentic mac and cheese.
6. Right before serving, pour desired amount of cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to coat. Depending on how saucy you like it, you might not need all of it- but the sauce gets absorbed by the pasta quite quickly, so it’s always nice to have extra.
7. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with the buffalo tofu crumbles, fresh parsley, and some vegan parmesan, if desired.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: American

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