Winter Squash Pasta Bake
Calling this mac and cheese would be a disservice to the complexity of flavors inside. It has the technicolor orange color of the blue box of your childhood without the questionable orange powder. You’ll get a healthy dose of protein from the cheese and milk, but the real wonder is the winter squash that concentrates in flavor when you roast it. It adds a sweet, toasty, and creamy base note that makes you go back for seconds. We love it served with a nice green winter salad with a bright lemony dressing to balance out the rich flavors. This would be a perfect recipe to double and freeze for one of those long days that begs for a home cooked meal at the end as a gift from your past self.
Ingredients:
1 winter squash or pumpkin, you’ll need about 2 cups roasted squash for the recipe
(we’ve used butternut squash and kabocha squash, but use what you have)
2 garlic cloves
6 slices bacon
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups grated raw cheddar, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan
lots of fresh pepper
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 cup whole milk
1 cup chicken broth, warmed
12 ounces pasta (we like shells or elbow)
Directions:
I like to do this on a slow morning when we are cooking bacon for breakfast. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. On a lined baking sheet, place your winter squash cut in half with the cut side up. Rub a bit of olive oil or butter on the cut halves and sprinkle it with a bit of salt and pepper. Nestled next to it, place your garlic cloves still in the skins. Pop it in the oven. On another lined tray, put your bacon. Pop that in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until browned and crispy. The squash will cook for about 45 minutes total until you can pierce it with a fork easily.
When you are ready to assemble the dish, cook your pasta taking 2 minutes off the cook time so it is a bit al dente. Meanwhile, scoop out the inside of the squash and add to the blender with the peeled garlic, salt, 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheddar, parmesan, pepper, mustard, milk, and the warm broth. Blend it up until nice and smooth. Add the sauce to the drained pasta and mix until coated. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheddar and crumbled bacon. Pop it into a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes just before serving.
