My husband is a bit of glutton. When I go on trips for work, I frequently come home to empty pizza boxes and In N Out wrappers, which inevitably lead to a quick five pounds gained. (What’s more frustrating is he goes for TWO runs and is back to high school size.) But I digress. What you see here is a delicious, pseudo-gluttonous dish that will make even the most unhealthy men jump for joy (and have no idea they’re eating squash).
I initially stumbled upon this recipe on Sugarlaws during the holiday season and hastily made variations of it at least six times before the new year. I adapted the recipe to make it gluten-free, which is alarmingly easy to do with baked-pasta dishes. (Gluten-free lasagna being another favorite dish at the Casa de Bethanimal.)
Ingredients:
1 16-oz bag brown rice elbow pasta (we use Tinkyada which can be found at Whole Foods.)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large butternut squash
2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup grated Parmesan
Salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large butternut squash
2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup grated Parmesan
Salt
Black pepper
Directions:
Cut the squash in half length-ways and roast it at 450 °F for one hour, or until squash can be poked through with a fork.
Next, heat a large pot of water for the pasta. Cook until al dente and then rinse the pasta in cool water.
Once the squash is roasted, scoop out the flesh and reserve. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 °F.
While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the shallot. Cook the shallot for a minute before adding the 2 cups of veggie stock.
Let the broth begin to simmer and then add the butternut squash and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the sauce with salt, paprika and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Put the pasta in a large baking dish with a lid then slowly add in the butternut squash/cheesy broth. Stir it all together and then place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.
