My well-documented obsession with macaroni and cheese began somewhere in the mid-1990’s when my mom (an avid home cook herself; who makes absolutely everything from scratch) decided to relinquish into my begging for the coveted blue box of cheesy noodles. I clearly remember shaking it up and down while imploring and the dry pasta was making the most annoying maraca-like sound you can fathom.. I grabbed another box off the shelf and had one on each hand and I was shaking them as to say “please” a little louder.
She looked at me shocked (and a tad perplexed), as this was not characteristically me. I never went to the grocery store and pressed my own food agenda; I typically went with her to try and sneak in all the Twizzler candy and Hubba Bubba gum they had at checkout. But never (had I ever) asked for food, snacks, or as she hilariously calls it “fake food”. “Alright”-she finally acquiesced looking not too pleased. “Let’s take one box home and try it.”
She made them for me that very same night, mocking the instant cheese sauce the whole way through, knowing this is not the way sauces are meant to be made. But there I was at the edge of my seat waiting to try what I had seen on TV commercials so many times. To cut to the chase, it was love at first try!
There was something SO incredibly satisfying about it. The pasta was doughy, the cheese sauce a bit salty (and def creamy) and, so… I was hopelessly hooked. I even asked for leftovers to be packed for lunch the next day. But, they will arrive cold- my mom interjected. It’s okay mama, I’ll have it anyways.
My love affair with macaroni and cheese intensified during my college days. Whenever I would run out of my dorm “meal card plan” in early March; I would instantly resort to the classic for a quick and affordable meal. At that point, I was no longer making it the stove top version way; I was into the microwaveable method. I really wish I could’ve stopped my 20 year-old self dead in her tracks and give her a little reality check/shakeup by making her read the ingredients on the box out-loud to herself.
We often mistake artificial foods with affordability; and friends, that is not always necessarily true. By buying the macaroni pasta and following this easy sauce recipe; you have an affordable meal with plenty of leftovers, ALL real food ingredients, and none of the unpronounceable(s).
All you need to do is willing to invest 20 minutes to prepare this quick and easy dish. This recipe comes with both; vegan and non-vegan options. But they both get help by putting one of my favorite foods to work: butternut squash. This wonderful vegetable is often undervalued and the power of its creamy consistency coupled with the perfect orange/yellow color is the secret weapon behind this dish.
I hope you give this little recipe a try, I’ve adjusted measurements back and forth several times to get the best proportions. If you’re not gluten-free, simply use standard pasta. If you enjoy cheese, simply add more cheese. If you’re fully vegan and want more of that zesty cheese flavor, try adding some more nutritional yeast along with your favorite almond milk ricotta (I give options below). Read on for the BEST homemade macaroni and cheese; it’s healthy but it doesn’t taste like it one bit!
Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of your choice of gluten-free pasta, I used GF brown rice pasta shells or cavatappi
- 1 tablespoon of bone OR vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup of butternut squash OR pumpkin puree or a mix of both * i make mine from scratch by roasting ~3 cups of cubed butternut squash and pumpkin with extra virgin olive oil, pink sea salt, and ground pepper in a baking tray at 400F for ~30 mins and then blending with 1 tablespoon of bone broth or a pinch of water.
- 3 tablespoons of traditional lemony hummus OR plain, Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup pecorino romano cheese OR vegan cashew or almond cheese of your choice
- 1/3 cup parmigiano regiano cheese that’s finely grated (hard cheeses like these are easier to digest for the dairy-intolerant)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Follow the instructions on the box/bag of pasta of your choice. Tip: if you are gluten-free: you can also use chickpea, quinoa or lentil pasta 😉
- While the pasta cooks, I roast my squash or pumpkin (see details above). When it’s done: I throw the freshly-roasted squash (or 1 cup of butternut squash puree), hummus (or Greek yogurt), bone broth, and garlic into my blender. Blend until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Melt/stir in the pecorino and parmigiano cheese into the blended squash sauce. *If vegan, there’s amazing almond or cashew ricotta that would work well and add creaminess.
- Drain the cook pasta and transfer to a bowl or baking dish. Coat well with the squash and cheese mixture.
- This is ready to eat, BUT if you have the extra bit of time: place the pasta in a baking dish and bake at 375F for ~20-25 mins or until the edges start to bubble. When I do this extra step: I like to divide the cheese the recipe calls for in half; I use 1/2 in the squash sauce and the other 1/2 to top/coat the macaroni before baking it.
- You can top with GF bread or cracker crumbs for a little crunch!
By: Aleyda | The Dish On Healthy
