Shout out to the vegans!

What would a morning of new age discussion be without an afternoon vegan recipe!

The following delicious recipe comes via my Bostonian vegan brother, Jack. I like his use of 'quotation marks' around vegan replications of milk cheeses.

Baked Vegan Mac and 'Cheese'

12 oz. dry penne, spirals or macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons light olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain hemp milk or other plain non-dairy milk
2 cups shredded vegan cheese (I used half 'mozzarella' and half 'cheddar')
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup mixed exotic mushrooms (I used dried ones, this is the measure
after soaking them in hot water to refresh them)

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon paprika and/or dried basil
Halved grape or cherry tomatoes, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pre-cook the penne until it is al dente - tender, but still quite firm to the bite.(It continues to cook in the sauce.) Drain the pasta in a colander and
rinse it quickly under cold water. Set aside and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the flour (A whisk is recommended). Cook and stir the flour for about 10seconds, then slowly add in the hemp milk, whisking to blend the flour paste and 'milk'.[Note - at this point, I ran the sauce through a blender to reduce lumps :) ]


Add the sea salt, parsley, basil, and mushrooms.


Bring the mixture to a bubble while stirring (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low.


Add the shredded vegan cheese, and stir. Continue stirring the sauce until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.


In a 6-cup baking dish, combine the cooked penne with the hot cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with bread crumbs and paprika. Add tomatoes and dried basil, if desired.


Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until bubbling.