1. Preheat the oven to 350F. (If you are adding roasted broccoli to your dish, this would be a good time to start preparing that, so it can roast in the oven while you work on the rest!)

2. You should also start boiling some water to prepare your pasta. If you have a Vita-Mix, or other high-powered blender, making this sauce is incredibly easy. Simply throw the first ten ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy! If you do not have a high-powered blender, use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first, until they are finely ground, or ideally, a nut-butter-like consistency.

3. Once your cashews are thoroughly processed, add the rest of the ingredients and process until thick and smooth. At this time, you should check your pasta. Once it's cooked to your liking, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot to be mixed with the cheese sauce.

4. If you're adding any roasted or sautéed veggies, this would be the time to do it.

5. Once you've mixed everything together, pour the mac n' cheese into an 8 x 8 square dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and black pepper.

6. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve!