Squash or Pumpkin? Both work equally well in this delightful recipe. Who can’t go wrong with this awesome comfort food? Serve this with on a chilly day with a light side dish of greens, a glass of wine and crusty bread and you’ve got it made. Offer it as a side dish along side your favourite roast of beef. Any way you choose, this recipe is full of great stick-to-your-ribs nutrition and sweet a smooth flavour.
OVEN ROASTED SQUASH MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
I usually use Butternut squash as it is the most smooth-textured and mild-tasting squash and have now started preparing it with the skin on which adds a bit of a fleck and texture to the purée and another layer of flavour. Play with a variety of squash to discover the different levels of flavour they produce. Hubbard squash has a robust and amazing flavour, while Acorn squash is the mildest, yet most textured variety.
- 3 cups macaroni or other pasta
- 2 cups rice milk or other milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp spelt flour or regular flour
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup light or regular cream cheese
- 1 cup roasted squash any variety or pumpkin pureed or canned pumpkin
- 2 cups grated old white cheddar cheese
Butter a large baking dish. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to the package until just al dente. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring milk and salt to a gentle boil, whisk in the flour and mustard and reduce the heat to simmer and whisk for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, the puree and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and continue to cook, stirring until sauce is thick and smooth, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over and continue. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Enjoy
I think a sprinkle of buttered breadcrumbs or panko would be a nice added crunch to this recipe.