Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Kale

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One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to figure out how to make comfort food healthy. Healthy eating doesn't mean you force yourself to eat foods you hate and make yourself miserable. Healthy eating means finding a way to make the foods you love lighter, fresher, and more whole.

Since it's squash season, I've been seeing a ton of people using squash in sauces, and I was inspired to create my own. This "cheesy" squash sauce is thick and satisfying, and is a great replacement for mac and cheese. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 cups uncooked fusilli
• 1 cup kale
• For sauce:
• 3 cups butternut squash
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cube squash and cook for 30 minutes or until soft. 

2. While squash is cooking, prepare pasta according to package. In a small pan, heat up about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add kale and sauté until wilted. 

3. Once squash is done, blend with garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Mix with pasta and kale, and add a dash of salt and pepper. Serve warm.