• --- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
• --- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• --- 1 large onion, diced
• --- ¾ cup nutritional yeast
• --- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
• --- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
• --- Salt
• --- Pepper
• --- 1 cup water (from boiling the vegetables)
For the crispy topping
• --- ½ cup roughly chopped cashews and walnuts
• --- 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• --- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• --- 1 pinch salt
METHOD
1. For extra flavor, if desired, soak the raw cashews in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain them well. In a pot with salted water, boil the carrots, potatoes, and onion until completely softened.
2. Important: Reserve 1-2 cups of the cooking water before draining the vegetables. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions (aim for al dente, as it will also bake in the oven).
3. In a blender, add the boiled vegetables, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gradually add ¾ cup of the reserved vegetable water and blend on high speed until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water.
4. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour the sauce over it. Stir over very low heat for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish.
5. In a small bowl, mix all the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the entire surface of the pasta. Place the dish on the highest rack in the oven, under the grill (broiler). Bake for 4-6 minutes until the topping is golden and crispy.
