Preheat oven to 350°

Salt the pasta water with 2 tablespoon sea salt and bring to a boil. Cook as directed on the package. For best results, drain the pasta 2 minutes less than the recommended time.

Steam 1 cup cauliflower until it’s tender, approximately 5 minutes. Let cool.

Drain and rinse the cashews and put in a powerful blender or food processor. Add the 1 cup steamed cauliflower, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 3 tablespoon vegan butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and ½ cup plant milk (add more if needeand blend until the cheese sauce is smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides once or twice while blending to ensure that there are no solid pieces of nuts.

Taste the cheese sauce and add more salt, the black pepper, and more cayenne if you want a spicier mac and cheese, blend for 20 seconds.

Sprinkle with coconut bacon if desired.