Photo: Harvest Moon Macaroni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni such as cassarecci, strozzopretti or ziti with lines
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose four
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Nutmeg, grated to taste
- 1 (10-ounce) box frozen butternut squash, defrosted
- A few dashes hot sauce
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 cup extra-sharp yellow Cheddar
- A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Directions
Bring water to a boil, season with salt and cook macaroni to al dente.
Preheat broiler and place rack in middle of the oven.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a sauce pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until soft, 6 to 7 minutes and stir in the thyme.
Scoot onions off to side of pan and melt butter, whisk flour into butter and combine whisk 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and cook until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in butternut squash and a few dashes hot sauce. Reduce heat. When sauce comes to a bubble, stir in Parmigiano. Combine the sauce and macaroni, transfer to a casserole dish and top with shredded yellow Cheddar, chopped parsley and paprika. Brown the macaroni under broiler, 4 to 5 minutes until brown and bubbly.
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By jane_6182911
Norfolk, VA
on February 12, 2013
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This was pretty good but doesn't have a lot of flavor (like many mac and cheese recipes!. I microwaved my cubed butternut squash and after I added it to the pot I mashed it up a bit with my spoon. I liked having some chunks of it in there for texture. Next time I would add more squash, as much as 20 oz., and I would add more hot sauce. You definitely need to salt and pepper this liberally before it goes into the oven. I am keeping this recipe because I can't resist having a vegetable hidden in mac and cheese. But when I need a mac and cheese to impress a crowd, I will use the one from Ina Garten.
By jlporter2586
on November 29, 2011
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My husband and I enjoyed this meal, but it wasn't amazing. First, it was incredibly easy to make on a weeknight. Also, it didn't have ingredients that could spoil quickly, so it was a great standby meal. I can keep all the ingredients on hand. I couldn't find pureed butternut squash, but I did finally find frozen chunks at Target. I just pureed them myself. I also love that I can have a vegetable hidden inside the mac and cheese. You really can't taste butternut squash. On the negative side, the mac and cheese was a bit bland. I wish it had more of the cheddar taste. I think next time, I might add a little bit of cheddar to the actual sauce. Also, I used whole wheat pasta. The sauce covers up the whole wheat taste, so even picky eaters won't be able to tell. Just make sure you cook the whole wheat pasta long enough. Overall, it's a solid recipe.
By kellyalk_9312225
Orlando, FL
on November 27, 2011
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just gross....
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