Macaroni And Cheese With Roasted Butternut Squash
356
- Prep Time30 mins
- Total Time50 mins
- Makes6 Servings
Produced by Chantal Braganza and Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle
Inspired by the fancified grilled cheese of the early 2010s, this creamy mac and cheese is coated with three types of cheese and sweet roasted squash for a seasonal take on our favourite pasta dish. Roast the squash a day or two in advance, then refrigerate until needed. Gently stirring in the cheese without melting it will give you a deliciously gooey effect when serving.
Ingredients
3 cups peeled, finely diced butternut squash, about 400 g
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups dry elbow macaroni pasta
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup grated white cheddar, preferably aged
1 cup grated light mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1/3 cup panko
Crispy Sage
1/4 cup butter
10 large sage, leaves
Instructions
Position racks in centre and top third of oven, then preheat to 400F. Toss squash with oil on a baking sheet. Bake in centre of oven until tender, stirring halfway through, 16 to 18 min. Remove to a cooling rack. Preheat broiler to 500F.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following package directions, 7 to 8 min.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Whisk in flour. Mixture will be dry and very lumpy. Gradually whisk in milk, Dijon, salt and cayenne. Stir until mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 7 min.
Drain pasta. Remove milk mixture from heat and stir in pasta, cheeses and squash until just coated. Do not let cheese melt. Transfer to an 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle panko over pasta.
Broil in top third of oven until top is golden, 2 to 3 min.
Crispy Sage: Meanwhile, melt 1⁄4 cup butter in a medium frying pan set over medium-high. Add 10 large sage leaves. Cook, stirring often, until sage is crispy and butter is a shade darker and smells nutty, 3 to 5 min. Garnish mac and cheese with crispy sage and drizzle with browned butter, if desired. Serve immediately.
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