Vegan Macaroni Gratin with Cashew Cheese

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Measure and prep all remaining ingredients: dice the onion, mince the garlic, and mix the panko with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the smoked paprika in a small bowl. Preheat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C for a fan oven, or gas mark 6.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions, until firmly al dente — it will finish cooking in the oven.

Drain the macaroni, toss immediately with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Add the drained cashews, oat milk, water, nutritional yeast, miso, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, salt, white pepper, and cornstarch to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth and no graininess remains.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide, oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, translucent, and lightly golden at the edges.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Pour the blended cashew sauce into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens noticeably and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat. Fold the al dente macaroni into the sauce until every piece is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Scatter the paprika panko topping evenly across the surface of the gratin without pressing it down.

Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the crumb topping is deep golden.

Switch the oven to the grill setting and grill for 3–4 minutes until the crust is blistered and crisp — watch closely as it can burn quickly.

Rest for 5 minutes before serving.