Butternut Mac ‘N Cheese
Ingredients:
3 cups dry whole wheat pasta (elbows, shells, macaroni, ect.)
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
½ cup white or yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
3 cups butternut squash, diced
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (shred from block cheese for better sauce consistency)
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
Directions:
- Boil the pasta according to instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water for later then strain pasta and set aside
- Meanwhile, add the butter or oil to a large pot and set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add broth, butternut, salt, and pepper. Cover and let simmer until butternut is tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Stir the milk into the sauce and use a handheld immersion blender (or working carefully with a countertop blender) to puree the butternut mixture until smooth.
- Mix the butternut puree into the pasta. Add cheddar cheese and stir to evenly combine, then add yogurt and continue stirring until evenly mixed. If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the hot starchy pasta water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, optionally topped with parsley and smoked paprika.
