While seemingly restrictive, a vegan diet is actually pretty straightforward: lots of fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. And that can lend to a lot of deliciousness...until you're really, really craving a bowl of mac and cheese. "Vegan cheese can taste more like plastic coating," says vegetarian chef Eddie McNamara.

That's why we're so excited about McNamara's mac and "cheese" recipe, where not a spec of vegan "cheese" was used. "The secret here is the creamy butternut bechamel," McNamara says. Get a load of that spoonful—it looks and tastes like the real deal. (Hit the reset button—and burn fat like crazy with The Body Clock Diet!)

Vegan Mac and "Cheese"

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 cup basil leaves

2 Tbsp vegan nondairy spread, such as Olivio Coconut Spread

1/2 cup white wine

1/8 tsp salt

3 cups butternut squash soup

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp herbes de Provence

16 oz any dry pasta, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

1. Pulse onion, garlic, and basil in a food processor until it looks like salsa.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons nondairy spread in a saucepan. Add the onion mixture, wine, and salt. Increase heat to high and saute until wine evaporates, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a separate pan, bring butternut squash soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened to the consistency of marinara sauce, about 15 minutes.

4. Combine thyme and herbes de Provence with the onion mixture. Stir in butternut sauce and season with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta.

Recipe adapted from the original. Find more of McNamara's vegan and vegetarian recipes in his forthcoming book, , which hits shelves on June 20 (preorder at ).

This article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!

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