The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese

1. Preheat oven and prep - If planning on baking it with the breadcrumb topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a casserole dish (I used a 9x13 inch dish). Skip this step for stovetop mac and cheese. 2. Soak the cashews - Soften your cashews by covering them in boiling water for 5 minutes. I do this by heating up water in my tea kettle, and then pouring the boiling water over the cashews in a large glass measuring cup.  3. Cook pasta - Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but do not overcook. Drain and set aside. 4. Blend cheese sauce - Drain the soaked cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and bag of shredded cheese (if using) to a high powered blender and blend until very smooth. 5. 6.