"squashed" Macaroni and Cheese
"This recipe was adapted from one demonstrated by chef Todd English. It involves quite a bit of prep time, but it's worth the effort. This is definitely a wonderful dish for a cold winter day."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup browned unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons room temperature butter
- 1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
- 1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 1⁄2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1⁄8 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1⁄3 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 1⁄2 cup fresh breadcrumb
- 1⁄4 cup ground store-bought amaretto cookies (optional)
directions
- Preheat oven to 350° with oven racks placed in the upper and lower third of the oven.
- Butter a large casserole (approx. 10 x 7 inch) with 1 tablespoon room-temperature butter; set aside.
- Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet and evenly coat with oil.
- Rub the cut sides and the cavities of each squash with the remaining room-temperature butter.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place cut sides down, and bake until squash is soft, approximately 45 minutes.
- When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop flesh into the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer.
- Add cream, milk and nutmeg, and blend until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper and blend well.
- Set mixture aside.
- Continue to heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until slightly under cooked.
- The pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
- Drain and add to bowl with squash mixture.
- Add Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses.
- Stir until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
- Place spoonfuls of ricotta cheese on top of the pasta mixture.
- Place the bread crumbs, amaretto crumbs (optional), and browned butter into a small bowl, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle mixture evenly over the surface of the squash and macaroni.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and heated through.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am a stay-at-home mom living in Northeast Minneapolis with my husband, beautiful daughter, and two doberman-shepherds. My passion is for "all things natural." I love hiking, camping, gardening, playing with my daughter and my dogs, as well as my husband : ), and creating wonderful meals from healthy, organic ingredients. My favorite cookbook is “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman. It was a great beginner’s book for me. It provides plenty of great recipes but, more importantly, highlights the basic principles of working with nearly any ingredient you can think of- from buying and storing fruits and veggies, to carving a turkey. Pet Peeves? Going through the express lane with too many items. This may seem like a small thing, but everything we do affects everyone else... so smile! : )
