Description
This creamy baked macaroni features roasted butternut squash blended into a cheesy sauce for a subtly sweet, velvety twist on classic mac and cheese. Perfect for cozy dinners, it balances indulgence and nutrition in every bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss cubed squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper; spread on the baking sheet and roast 25–30 minutes until fork tender and caramelized.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente, drain and set aside.
4. Blend roasted squash with ½ cup milk until smooth and set aside.
5. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour to form a roux and cook 1 minute.
6. Slowly whisk in remaining milk, simmering until thickened, then stir in squash puree, cheddar, Gruyère, garlic powder, nutmeg, and paprika until smooth.
7. Season sauce with salt and pepper and stir in cooked pasta.
8. Transfer mixture to a greased baking dish, sprinkle with parmesan and thyme, then bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
9. Let rest 5 minutes before serving to allow sauce to set.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 40
Keywords: roasted butternut mac and cheese, butternut squash mac and cheese, mac and cheese with butternut squash, creamy squash mac and cheese, roasted squash pasta, fall comfort food, baked macaroni squash