Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This is a seasonal favorite of mine, I was so excited to share this with my brand spankin’ new husband and grand father in law.  I’ve included the recipe for the very basic mac and cheese, at the end I have a few alterations to spice up left-over nights!

The goal with this recipe was to use one pot, my trusty giant blue Le Creuset, and to layer the flavors.  I wanted to build up on the pancetta flavor, once I removed it I added the onions to the drippings and cooked them down to a caramel color.  Finally I removed the onion and poured in a cup of stock, the pan was so hot it steamed quite a bit but this is good!  I used a wooden spoon to stir aggressively making sure to scape the sides and bottom well.  Two more cups of stock and this is what my squash cubes boiled in, thus layering and combining the flavor even more.  The only draw back is that this method takes a little longer, you can always use more pots to speed up the process.

*this recipe requires a blender or food processor

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 stick of butter (sounds so much better than 8 tablespoons hehe)

4 oz or less pancetta (you can also use bacon or leave out for a vegetarian option)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1 bay leaf

1 large onion

3 cups vegetable stock or broth

Pinch of salt

A few turns of pepper

Parsley

 

Method

1. Cube squash, chop onion and pancetta, set each aside separately.
2. Cook a full box of pasta according to package instructions, I prefer al dente. Drain and set aside
3. Melt two tablespoons of butter on medium heat in a large soup pot.
4. Add pancetta and cook until brown bits begin to form, stirring frequently (5 to 7 minutes) remove and set aside.
5. Add onion and bay leaf to the pan drippings also a pinch of salt, a few turns of pepper and a good coating of dried parsley.  Keeping on medium heat, add a quarter cup of stock and cook until almost fully reduced.  Onions should be a caramel color and taste sweet when they’re done, remove and set aside leaving any drippings (keep bay leaf separate).
6. Keep on medium heat, add 3/4 cups of stock and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape up the bottom and sides.
7. Add two more cups of stock, this brings you to three total.  Add cubed squash and bay leaf bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
8. Boil squash until fork tender, about fifteen minutes, remove and discard bay leaf.
9. Now is your chance to do the dishes! I like to clean up as I go so when my husband walks in its like a magic fairy brought dinner, it also saves time at the end and I feel is generally good practice to keep a clean kitchen.
10. When squash is fork tender, transfer that and broth to large mixing bowl, set Le Creuset aside on stove top, burner off.
11. In relatively even batches, blend broth, squash, and onions until smooth.  Add each batch back to the Le Creuset once blended, turn heat back on medium-low.
12. When finished blending watch until the mixture begins to bubble, add cheese and stir until combined (Make it vegan! Skip the cheese and pancetta! Lower in calories and salt.)
13. Add pasta to sauce and fold gently to combine, serve immediately, sprinkling pancetta over the top of each serving, keep leftovers three days.

 

Variations to spice up leftover night:

 

Top with a sprinkling of Feta or Gorgonzola cheese, the tangy-ness compliments the savory butternut sauce.

 

Make it baked! Layer buttered breadcrumbs on top of the pancetta and extra cheese, bake until bubbly, then broil for a minute or two until the crust browns.

 

You could even mix in a few extra bread crumbs and fry these like little fritters!

 

 

Saute pancetta

Reduce onions

Keep everything cooked and separate for quick assembly

Even batches of squash, broth, and onions

Blended until smooth and creamy

Fold into noodles gently

Top with cheese, pancetta, and bread crumbs for a baked option