Rinse and soak the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes or in cold water overnight.
Drain and rinse again then add them to a powerful blender together with the roasted potato, nutritional yeast, all the spice and water. Process until silky smooth.
Transfer the cheese sauce to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Stir well for a few minutes until thick and creamy. Remove from flame, taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook the Pasta:
Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a good pinch of salt (the water should taste like the ocean). Add the macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the box say.
Add the broccoli florets to the pot with the pasta and simmer together for 2 minutes. The pasta and broccoli should be perfectly cooked al dente at this point but give it a taste anyways. You don’t want to overcook them.
Reserve one cup of the pasta water then drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander. Add them to the pot with the cheese sauce and toss everything to coat well. (Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to stretch out the sauce at this point).
Serve hot topped with smoky tempeh bits or sesame tofu if desired.