Macaroni & Cheese w/ Red Hubbard Squash
Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. It's rapidly turning into winter here. We've already had a few frost warnings. I've brought all of the plants inside that I want to try and winter over. And I'm getting on a plane in a couple of days for a wedding, so I need to make something that's quick, easy, and homey. During the colder months, nothing warms me up quite like macaroni and cheese. It's a nostalgic childhood favorite that combines both pasta and cheese. What could be better?? Although I've definitely stepped up my game as an adult. I usually use Greek yogurt because I can't handle quite that much milk. I'm incredibly excited about Roasted Red Hubbard Squash, wine, and cheddar in this macaroni and cheese, though.
Between the squash and Greek yogurt, the sauce tends to thicken quite a bit. Sometimes I just go with this or thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Today, though, I'm feeling particularly festive and tossing in a splash of wine. This tends to add a bit of sweetness to the dish, which plays in nicely with the roasted squash. I also added a pinch of nutmeg just for good measure. The combination of wine and cheese is also always a good one. It's almost reminiscent of fondue.
Although you can always add in milk, cream, or a splash of the pasta water, instead. This is a great recipe to mix and match to make your own with whatever ingredients fit you best. Macaroni and cheese is an incredibly forgiving dish to make. As long as the sauce and cheese stir to combine, there aren't a whole lot of ways to go wrong here! I even added in a couple of Thai dragon peppers for good measure.
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Variations of Squash Macaroni & Cheese
Squash is one of my favorite things to add to macaroni and cheese. It's only really available in the fall, but it adds such a warmth and depth of flavor to any pasta dish. I'm partial to macaroni and cheese. Although squash also goes incredibly well in lasagna or just as a pasta sauce as well. Macaroni is just a fun childhood favorite that is simple to elevate as an adult dish. Although you can omit the wine and make this a child-friendly dish.
Macaroni & Cheese w/ Red Hubbard Squash
Equipment
- Large Baking Dish
- Oven
- Large Pot
- Skillet
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1½ c. red hubbard squash roasted & puréed
- 1 lbs. macaroni
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3 Thai dragon peppers
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 c. Greek yogurt
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1 c. cheddar cheese
- 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
- I used Roasted Red Hubbard Squash in this recipe. This takes a couple of hours and requires aluminum foil and a baking dish. I am a big fan of ambercup squash. It's a medium-sized variety with dense flesh and a lot of flavor. You can easily substitute butternut squash, pie pumpkin, or other gourd of choice.
Cook Pasta
- Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.The pasta will cook another half hour in the oven, so make sure not to overcook them during this stage!
- Drain pasta.You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Prepare Roux
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Preheat saucepan on medium-heat. Add 1/4 cup butter and melt.
- Immediately when the butter melts, add flour and stir constantly until incorporated. This should take about 3 minutes.Do NOT brown or overcook, though. You just want the butter and flour to incorporate until you add the spices.
- Add Thai dragon peppers, mustard, nutmeg, ginger, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir constantly for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Add Greek yogurt, a little at a time, and stir constantly until incorporated after each addition. Adding too much at once can cause the roux to separate. Although this is less of an issue with yogurt as it is milk or cream, it is still something to watch out for!
- Add squash purée and stir until combined.
- Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese and add to roux 1/2 cup at a time. Mix constantly until fully incorporated.
- Add wine to thin out the sauce. I typically use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Although it does vary slightly from batch to batch.You want the sauce to be about the consistency of an Alfredo sauce. It should spread easily, but is not a liquid. I would suggest airing on the side of caution and adding less, mixing the pasta in, and then adding more if necessary for it to achieve the quintessential macaroni and cheese texture.
- Add noodles and stir until fully coated in the cheese sauce.If necessary, add more water to achieve the right consistency.
Bake Macaroni and Cheese
- Pour macaroni and cheese into greased baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
- Let cool slightly and cut into 2-inch squares. Serve immediately.
This Page Contains Edited Images
As a general rule, I don't like to edit images. Food styling, editing, alteration, and even faking entirely is just as rampant a problem in the recipe realm. Cooking is a very visual art and you can tell when a lot of foods are cooked based on the color. So, when this is altered and you can't use the coloration as a gauge, it makes it quite difficult to follow some recipes. I have an entire article about Food Styling and Unrealistic Expectations of Recipes. My place has very warm lighting, though. So, sometimes my camera overcompensates and ends up with an unnatural hues. I've adjusted the hues, levels, and/or cropped the following images:
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