This is not a pretty dish. Sure, you can make it in individual ramekins and dress it up with toppings, but it remains essentially a soft, sloppy, unctuous spoon-food that will warm your heart as well as your cockles, reminding you fondly of the comfort brought by the original dairy version.

The bonus here isn’t just found in the creamy taste and avoidance of dairy. The sauce is packed with nutrients from the ingredients; antioxidants, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, B vitamins, fibre, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium, vitamin E… bored yet?!

The vegan cheese is an addition you can take or leave though the dish will be sweeter without it so you might want to add a little sea salt to the sauce to get the savoury flavour balanced correctly.

I’d love to see your pictures or hear your experiences with this recipe, and of course any tips or extra ingredients you might add along the way, please do get in touch.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2-4)

1/2 mug cashews, soaked in water for at least an hour, overnight is best

1/3 mug nutritional yeast flakes

1 whole large cauliflower head, or two smaller ones

1 white onion

1-2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 vegan stock cube

2 mugs of dried macaroni pasta

1 mug grated vegan cheese

METHOD

Measure the cashews then tip into a bowl and cover with water, soak for a minimum of an hour but preferably longer, overnight is best.

Chop the onion and garlic finely, fry on a low heat the olive oil in a large saucepan until softened and translucent, not browned.

Boil the kettle and make up 500ml vegetable stock.

Cut the white head of the cauliflower into small pieces, an inch or so, add to the saucepan with the softened onion and garlic, cover with the vegetable stock, simmer until tender. This usually takes around 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let it cool for 20-30 minutes, blending a boiling hot mixture is not a good idea.

When it’s cooled, drain the soaked cashews and blend together with the cauliflower and stock mixture. Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice to the blender, if you’re adding a pinch of salt, do this now to blend it through.

Taste, and revel in delight at the cheesiness of your sauce.

Preheat your oven to 220C.

Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet, drain well. Combine the sauce and pasta in a large mixing bowl, stir through half the vegan cheese.

Transfer to an oven proof dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden. Serve as a side or a main dish.

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