Ok folks, this one is definitely easy enough for a weeknight (I made sure it would be a one-pot recipe), and we are talking pure comfort food here…delicious carby creamy cheezy pasta goodness with broccoli – vegan and gluten free but tastes just as good as the real thing! And no neon-orange powder either. Serves 2 ravenous adults, or 4 people eating it as a civilized main dish with some sides.

Ingredients:

1 bag (16 oz) gluten-free pasta of your choosing – I use TJ’s brown rice & quinoa fusilli for this recipe

1.5 cups or 12 oz (1 bag) broccoli florets (I used TJ’s prepackaged for ultra-convenience, but of course chop up your own if you can!)

8 oz dairy free shredded cheese (I strongly recommend Daiya cheddar style shreds- my favorite!)

2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread or other vegan butter

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage (or other nondairy milk)

Bring a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add in your noodles. Cut your broccoli into smaller mini-florets if it was pre-cut into large pieces.

Cook the pasta for about 6 min or until 3/4 of the way cooked. Then dump the broccoli right in with the pasta (so convenient!) for another 3-4 minutes until it turns a beautiful bright green. Drain both the pasta and broccoli in a colander.

Meanwhile, lower the heat on your stove to medium-low and put the pot back on the stove. Add in the Earth Balance and let it melt. Then add the nutritional yeast, cheeze, and the nondairy milk. Stir frequently until the cheeze melts and you get a nice uniform melty orange slurry.

Finally, add the pasta and broccoli back in, and give it all a good mix until well combined.

Nom nom! Enjoy!