Butternut squash macaroni and cheese

My current squash count stands at 2 butternut squash, 8 (yes, 8!) delicata squash, and a kabocha squash (all of it from the farm share, except for the kabocha which I bought months ago). Thank goodness for the internet, because without the inspiration, I would probably be eating roasted squash until the end of time! Not that there's anything wrong with roasted squash, but a little variety is nice, right? I was browsing for squash recipes and kept coming across macaroni and cheese recipes that added butternut squash to the cheese sauce, which sounded brilliant to me! However, I am lazy and did not feel like actually making bechamel sauce (nor did I have enough cheese)....In the end, I kind of winged it, and it turned out wonderfully! So, onwards...


The first thing to do, of course, is to get yourself a butternut squash. Mine was on the small side, probably about a pound total. Cut it in half (be careful! Squash are hard and roll around. You can stabilize it a bit by wrapping a dishtowel around the base.) and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil (you really don't need much) and place, cut side down, on a lined baking sheet. Roast in a 375 F oven until the squash is soft; mine took about an hour. Let it cool until you can handle it without burning yourself, then scoop the flesh out into a food processor (or a blender). Isn't that a cheerful color?


For the amount of squash I had, I added about half a cup of milk and blended until smooth. Adjust as you see fit in terms of thickness, but remember that you're going to be adding cheese which will thicken it a bit more! Give it a taste; if you're like me, you might consider just eating the puree as is with a spoon. It's so yummy! Nice and sweet. (I guess if you thin it out more and add some ginger and curry, it would be a good soup. Hmm!)


Anyway if you've managed not to eat all of your puree, pour it into a heavy saucepan and heat on low heat until it starts to simmer. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste. (Or whatever seasoning you would put in your regular mac and cheese recipe.) Stir in shredded cheddar cheese; I used about 4 ounces of extra sharp cheddar. Stir over low heat until melted. Pour over cooked pasta; this made enough sauce for about half a box of pasta.


If you like the baked kind of mac and cheese, by all means, pour this into a dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake. Otherwise, just eat and enjoy! I may never go back to the regular mac and cheese. Which is fortunate, because I've still got a whole bagful of squash, with more expected on Tuesday....