Mac and Cheese Sauce

Topping

Parm

Preheat the oven to 350°F. To cook the pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse. To prepare the topping, combine the bread crumbs, The Parm, herbs, and salt in a small bowl. To make the sauce, drain and rinse the cashews. Add to a high-powered blender with the remaining ingredients and blend on high until very smooth. In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or baking dish, stir the pasta and sauce together until the macaroni is well coated. What looks like an excess amount of sauce will thicken during baking! Sprinkle three-fourths of the bread crumb mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle the bacon pieces liberally on top. Press them slightly into the bread crumb layer but keep them still visible. Top with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake on the top rack of the oven for 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbling slightly. Depending on your oven and the distribution of heat, you might want to set the skillet under the broiler for 5 minutes to get the top crispier instead of continuing to bake at 350°F. Serve immediately. When reheating leftovers you may want to add more nondairy milk to get it creamy once again.   Parm Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor and process until a fine crumb or meal is formed. Store in a jar or container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.