The creamiest mac and cheese with roasted butternut squash and the flavor of sage in every bite. This Roasted Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is the ultimate twist to the our favorite fall comfort food.
Ingredients
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry mini penne
1⅔ cup 2% milk
6-8 large sage leaves, torn
½ cup shredded fontina cheese
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon salt
Breadcrumbs for extra crunch
More sage leaves for garnish
Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease the surface with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.
Toss the butternut squash in olive oil until all the surfaces are covered lightly in olive oil. Place the butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the butternut squash in the oven at 400F for about 30 minutes before removing them from the oven.
About 10 minutes before the butternut squash is done, place the pasta and milk in a medium sized pot. Since it’s cooked in milk, which can easily become burnt, you have to continuously stir the pasta, especially the ones at the bottom, to prevent the bottom from becoming burnt.
Add torn up sage leaves after you’ve cooked the pasta for about 10 minutes.
When the butternut squash are done roasting, remove them from the oven and quickly use two forks to mash the butternut squash into puree. Add the puree to the pasta and stir to incorporate the butternut squash into the pasta. Once the pasta has softened to your liking, remove the pasta from heat.
Add the fontina (or the cheese of your choice) and stir to allow the cheese to melt and combine with the rest of the mac and cheese. Cook the mac and cheese until the milk evaporates and the pasta is as creamy as you like. Sprinkle salt to taste.
Serve the mac and cheese immediately.
Recipe by Cooking with a Wallflower at https://cookingwithawallflower.com/2015/11/04/roasted-butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese/