The cold weather means it’s winter squash season, as you know. And everyone knows those are the best types of squash. I recently got my hands on an acorn and a butternut variety and didn’t know what to do with them. Soup? Roasted? Boring!
After a long brainstorm, I thought to make macaroni and cheese:
Originally, I wanted to make risotto, but then I realized that I’d have to go shopping, and I really didn’t want to go to the supermarket, so I had to pick something that I could make with whatever I already had in the kitchen. Then pizza came to mind (I always have mini pizza doughs in the fridge), but I wasn’t feeling it. That’s when I thought of mac & cheese; I’ve read about camouflaging cauliflower in it to trick kids into eating more healthily, so why not put squash in it? I wasn’t trying to make it healthier, just different, but I went with it, and my little experiment was a big success!
Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 acorn squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 pound of pasta
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of half & half
- 1 cup of cornflakes, crumbed
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
- Toss the cubed squash in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in a single layer at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, saute the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Add the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion turns transparent and starts to brown.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions.
- Put the drained pasta in a baking dish and mix in the butter, half & half, and 1 cup of the cheese and mix it all together.
- Add the squash and the onions to the pasta, mix.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese on top.
- Mix the cornflake crumbs with the rest of the cheese and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes (your oven should still be at 450 degrees).
P.S. Don’t toss the seeds; roast them like you would pumpkin seeds, but for a bit shorter, since they’re smaller.
Really love squash? Check out our other squash recipes:
