In less than an hour, you can make the tastiest Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese dish! And not just any Mac and Cheese dish, but an easy Trader Joe’s copycat Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. It’s the new pasta with a twist, that friends and family will love and enjoy.
Creamy, Cheesy and Tasty Mac and Cheese
Fun Facts about Pasta
Pasta comes in all different shapes and sizes, as we all do! I guess that’s why pasta is loved by everyone?
Did you know, there are actually 600 different pasta shapes all over the world?!
You may not be surprised to hear that Italians consume the most amount of pasta than any other country around the world. According to International Pasta Organization, it’s a fact that if the Italians ate all of their pasta in spaghetti, in one single year, they would eat 600 million kilometers of it! Enough to wrap around the world 15,000 times!
Butternut Squash Vs Pumpkin
Butternut squash and pumpkin are very similar in colour but have quite a few differences. They are very different in shapes and sizes, and unique in terms of their nutritional profiles but when cooked in certain foods, they are eaten similarly and taste quite similar too.
Surprisingly, both butternut squash and pumpkin are fruits! Most people think of them as vegetables, but because they both have seeds inside them, scientifically, they are actually fruits. What’s even more surprising is the question, is a pumpkin a melon? The answer to that is yes! And so is butternut squash! Shocking right!?
Deliciously thick and gooey
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
For people who do not have easy access pumpkin puree, I have the perfect solution for you.. It can be made in just a few simple steps 🙂
Cut the butternut squash in half and clean it from seeds. We can skip the hard step of cleaning the seeds by actually baking the squash! What you’ll need to do is turn you squash face down onto the tray and bake it for 45 minutes on 220º, or until you feel your pumpkin is fork-tender. The pumpkin should be a nice and light golden brown colour when done. With a large metal spoon or an ice cream scoop, you can easily scrape out the seeds. Scoop out the flesh and enjoy!
Actually, the same process can be used for the round pumpkins. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Why not use your pumpkin puree to make Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls for dessert?
Ingredients
- Double cream (or single cream if you prefer)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dried sage
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Chilli flakes
- Salt
- Garlic
- Butternut squash
- Oregano
- Basil
Step by Step
Start by baking your butternut squash face down on a tray for 45 minutes until fork-tender. With a large metal spoon or an ice cream scoop, you can easily scrape out the seeds, and scoop out the flesh.
Blend together 2 cups of butternut squash flesh with the double cream. You can use single cream if you prefer.
Separately, cook your pasta al dente and remember to keep the pasta water aside.
In a pan, sauté the garlic with olive oil and add the dried sage, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, chilli flakes, dried oregano, and salt.
Add the blended butternut squash and cream to the pot, let it simmer together and heat for 1-2 minutes.
Next, add 1 cup of pasta water and all the grated cheese to the sauce.
Finally, add your pasta to the mixture.
Bon Appetit! The tastiest Trader Joe’s copycat Butternut Squash Creamy Pasta 🙂
Other recipes to try
- Ultimate Spaghetti Bolognese
- Sumac Chicken with Pan Fried Butter Tomatoes
- Easy Homemade Yogurt
- Kuku Sibzamini – Persian Boiled Potato Patties
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Start by baking your butternut squash face down on a tray for 45 minutes until fork-tender. With a large metal spoon or an ice cream scoop, you can easily scrape out the seeds, and scoop out the flesh.
-
Blend together 2 cups of butternut squash flesh with the double cream. You can use single cream if you prefer.
-
Separately, cook your pasta al dente and remember to keep the pasta water aside.
-
In a pan, sauté the garlic with olive oil and add the dried sage, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, chilli flakes, dried oregano and salt.
-
Add the blended butternut squash and cream to the pot, let it simmer together and heat for 1-2 minutes.
-
Add 1 cup of pasta water and all the grated cheese to the sauce.
-
Mix together well until you get a pasty thick sauce and add your al dente pasta to the pan.
