Summer

Plant-Based Summer Squash "Mac & Cheese"

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July 10, 2024
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Plant-Based Summer Squash "Mac & Cheese"
Photo by Joni Goldbach
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I wait all year for the days of plentiful summer squash — zucchini, pattypan, crookneck, and the occasional zephyr. Since I started making it a couple of years ago, this is the dish I crave when the first tender squash show up in the market, and make until the last of the season have been exhausted.

I call this a plant-based “Mac & Cheese”, not because I think the world necessarily needs another vegan alternative, but because it gives me everything I crave from a big cheesy bowl of noodles. If like me, your ideal Mac & Cheese is made on the stovetop with a creamy, cheddar cheese sauce (or a Velveeta Mac), give this a try.

The cheesiness comes from a combination of miso, smoked paprika, and the umami depth of caramelized veggies. Cooking time builds the flavor. The 20 minutes or so spent reducing your veggies to a beautifully browned and fragrant mess is where you gain much of the flavor payoff. You can make the sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer for a quick dinner, but please don’t skimp on caramelization time.

A few tips for using what you have: Any short pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to hold the sauce works nicely. In a pinch, you can substitute some or all of the summer squash with cauliflower, which is similarly neutral and creamy and easy enough to caramelize when broken down into florets or riced. Resist any urge to substitute winter squash for the summer squash for this recipe. That will give you more of a “cheesy pumpkin” vibe. Yellow squash such as gold bar zucchini is ideal for enhancing the color of your “Mac & Cheese”. If you only have green, it’s not a problem. Peel your squash and compost the skin or save it for another recipe like zucchini bread. You can use regular paprika here, but smoked adds more flavor similar to the caramelized veggies. Seek it out if possible. —Joni Goldbach

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4-6 garlic cloves
  • 1.5 pounds yellow summer squash (about 3 longneck or zucchini)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 pound short pasta noodles (macaroni, rigatoni, fusilli, etc.)
Directions
  1. Heat your olive oil in a very large skillet or pot over medium heat. Ideally, you’ll want one with plenty of surface area for browning your veggies and high enough sides to hold a LOT of squash (10"-12"+).
  2. Peel and slice the onion and toss it in the pan to start cooking. Peel and smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Then, toss them in with the onions. Give everything a quick stir or shake to coat in oil and distribute evenly over the bottom of the pan. Let them continue cooking for roughly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they are cooking evenly while you prep your squash.
  3. If you have yellow squash, we’ll be leaving the skin on. If you have green squash, peel off the skin and compost or save it for another dish. Remove the rough, stalk end and slice into roughly 1/2 inch disks or pieces. There’s no need for perfection here, but thinner slices will cook faster and have more surface area to caramelize in the pan.
  4. At this point, your onions and garlic will likely be translucent and may just be starting to caramelize. Let’s turn up the heat to about medium-high. Add your sliced squash to the pan, and sprinkle with salt. Stir to coat in oil, and start separating the squash pieces from each other. Cover your pan with a lid to help the squash cook down evenly. The moisture the squash releases as it cooks will help to deglaze the pan and prevent your veggies from burning.
  5. While your veggies are cooking, put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil your pasta. When your water comes to a rolling boil, stir in your pasta. Boil, stirring occasionally, until it’s al dente or just shy of the firmness you prefer. Be sure to reserve a cup or two of your pasta water when you drain your noodles.
  6. Continue cooking the squash for roughly 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that your zucchini cooks evenly. You’ll see your vegetables transform from crisp to translucent and floppy, and finally to a caramelized light brown. Some bits of onion and garlic may get a bit darker. That’s ok and will give you a great depth of flavor. Just be sure to stop cooking before you veer from caramelized to burnt. If your veggies start to stick to the pan, stir in a couple of spoonfuls of water to loosen it off.
  7. When you are satisfied with the color of the veggies and they smell mouthwateringly delicious, turn off the heat and spoon them into a blender. Add in the miso, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes (if you like some heat). Blitz it all together until smooth and saucy. Add a little pasta water if needed (about 1/4 cup at a time) to loosen your sauce to a nice consistency. Give it a taste — it should be delightfully cheesy, salty, and umami. Adjust with more salt, paprika, or pepper flakes to your preference. Don’t fear if it tastes a little more salty than you prefer — pasta absorbs a lot of salt.
  8. Pour your sauce back into the pot or pan with your drained noodles and stir. Taste again for flavor, but don’t blame me if you find yourself eating dinner straight out of the pot. I like serving it up in big bowls with a little extra smoked paprika on top.
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