Butternut Squash Mac N’ Cheese
This family-friendly meal is not only as creamy as can be, but it also packed with vitamins A and C especially, thanks to the star ingredient: yep, butternut squash! So easy to make with a little extra time on your hands in the comfort of home to keep an eye on the oven, which does most of the work for you. It’s vibrant, savory, and totally vegan for all my fellow lactose-intolerant pals! Try this twist on a classic comfort food, and I know everyone at the table will be asking for more!
Ingredients:
2 cups butternut squash (about 1 medium-sized squash)
2 tbsp avocado oil (or another cooking oil)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp pink salt
2 cups uncooked pasta of your choosing
Optional Nutty Crumble:
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 tbsp (ground) flax seeds
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash into cubes. I usually cut the skin off of most of the squash, but leave some cubes with it on because it’s a-okay to eat once roasted!
Toss the cubes in avocado oil, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Let them roast and soften for about 50 minutes. Trust me, the end result is so worth it! You can even do this step in advance and make the rest of the “cheese” sauce later on after storing the prepared squash in the fridge.
While the squash roasts, cook the pasta you chose as desired.
Once the squash has roasted, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Next, toss everything (except the pasta) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Put the pasta in about an 8x8 oven-safe dish, then pour the blended sauce on top and mix well.
Move the pasta dish to the oven, still on 400°F, and let it cook for just 15 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, sprinkle on the optional crumble (simply mix the chopped walnuts and flax seeds).
Feel free to broil this for 1-2 minutes for an added, golden-brown finish, or go ahead and set it out to cool for 5-10 minutes and garnish with any savory, fresh herb(s) you may have (I used parsley).
Grab a fork and enjoy! Store leftovers, if any, in an airtight container for up to about 10 days.
