Roasted Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Roasted butternut squash takes this classic comfort food to unexpected heights with its beautiful golden color and fall flavors. Sprinkle it with panko bread crumbs and you have a hearty vegetarian casserole that'll even please meat lovers. After cooking the butternut squash, it only takes 20 minutes in the oven to get that deep golden brown color on top and dinner on the table.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta (cavatappi or other medium size pasta)
- 1 cup onion (diced)
- 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
- 5 tbsp butter (divided)
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup pureed butternut squash (1 lb squash)
- 16 oz white cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 6 tbsp butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º. Place ½ of a butternut squash or 1 lb of cut butternut squash pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Let cool and scrape into a food processor or blender and puree. You will need about 1 cup of pureed squash.
- Turn oven down to 375º.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
- In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat and add onions and mushrooms. Cook until the onions have softened and the mushrooms are browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Warm milk and cream in the microwave.
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter and once melted, whisk in the flour, salt, pepper and dry mustard and cook for a minute. Gradually add warm milk whisking constantly until it is slightly thickened. Add pureed squash, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and whisk until combined. Add all but 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and whisk, off heat, until melted.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and pour into a baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- In a small bowl combine panko and parmesan cheese and add melted butter. Combine with a fork and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Bake at 375º for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly on the sides.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so make sure you cook them to just below al dente so they don't turn into mush by the end.
- Always shred your own cheese! It leads to a creamier sauce since there are no additives like with the pre-shredded stuff.
- For this butternut squash mac, make sure all of the stringy parts of the squash are fully blended before adding it to the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2802IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 493mg | Iron: 1mg
