This Best Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe is an important one to me. For the past decade, tragically, I have been quite adverse to dairy. For a good Italian boy, this was especially hard, however, as they say, necessity and lactose intolerance is the mother of invention. This dish foregoes some of the nutritional yeasts and other non-dairy funky ingredients for a bit of technique and imagination, and lowers the amount of dairy/cheese by a fair amount. Is this the best “mac and cheese” you’ve ever had? Maybe. Is it the best squash fall pasta you could ever dream of? Certainly. Let’s make some Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese 2.0
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta (great place to use some chickpea pasta for added protein)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups butternut squash (roasted or frozen)
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 cups milk (cow, oat, whatever you like, just make sure it’s unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Fill a large saucepot 3/4 full with salted water and place on high heat (like you're making pasta). If using frozen squash, once the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften. Scoop out the squash and add in the short cut pasta. If using roasted squash, skip this step Cook pasta to very al dente, 2 minutes shy of package directions.
- As pasta cooks, add squash to your blender, along with the milk, cornstarch, dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Liquify.
- Set an ovensafe pan (like your cast iron or dutch oven, needs to be big enough to hold the pasta later) over medium heat. Add in oil, garlic, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook for one minute. Once garlic is softened, stir in squash mixture and cheese, and bring to a simmer.
- Once sauce is simmering, fold in the pasta. Top with the parmesan and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve as soon as you don’t burn your mouth.
Nutrition
Serving: 6Servings | Calories: 510kcal
