Roasted Pumpkin "Mac and Cheese"

Today's recipe was inspired by my desire to experiment in the kitchen and to not be wasteful of a mini pumpkin sitting in my fridge. This past Sunday my husband and I bought two small pumpkins at a farmers market with the intention of carving them out to use as chili soup bowls. We soon realized the chili would probably taste like pumpkin and we opted for regular bowls. 

To be honest I started this culinary experiment with the idea that I would make pumpkin soup and then changed my mind half way through. 

If you want to try this recipe yourself here is what you will need:

~1 small fresh pumpkin.

~Olive oil

~Water

~Blender

~1 bag of brown rice pasta

~ 1/4 cup of Raw cashews

~Mustard powder

~Chili powder

~Nutritional yeast

~Salt to taste

~Black pepper to taste

~Raw shelled pumpkin seeds to garnish.

**This dish is vegan and gluten free.

*If you have a nut allergy you can simply leave out the cashews and replace it with a little milk.

Steps for preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. 

2. Hollow out your pumpkin, washing the surface very thoroughly. Remove all seeds from the inside of your pumpkin. 

3.Cut your pumpkin into chunks and place them in an oven-safe dish. NOTE: You do not have to remove the skin from your pumpkin.

4. Pour about 1/4 cup of water over the pumpkin and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

5. Roast the pumpkin for 25-30 minutes. You will know the pumpkin in properly roasted when the chunks are soft and tender.  

This is what your pumpkin looks like after it has been roasted. 

6. Put still warm pumpkin into your blender.  

7.Also add about 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of raw cashews into the blender. 

 8.Blend until smooth. If you need, add more water so everything gets blended well.

 9. Add blended mixture to a sauce pan with the stove temperature set on low to medium-low.
10. Add in 1/4-1/2 cup of nutritional yeast. (depending on your preference)
11. Add in 1 tsp of ground mustard powder.
12. Add in 2-3 tsp of chili powder.
13. Taste the mixture in between adding each of the spices. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste.
14. Cook and drain the brown rice pasta. Add the sauce on top of your pasta and place it in your oven (still set on 350) for 5 minutes. Add shredded cheese on top if you like before putting it in the oven.

 Viola! This is what it will look like. 

15.Sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds over the top as a garnish. I thought of that after I took this photo. Opps!

You can leave it vegan like this or add shredded cheese on top. You could also add shredded almond cheese on top to still keep it vegan.

I thought it was really tasty so I gave a little sample to my co-worker so she can give me some constructive feedback since this was totally experimental. Let me know if you have ever tried something like this!

Thanks for stopping by!

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