Little Chef Ashley : Roasted Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese!!!!

Lets put a Fall twist on one of the all time classics...Mac-n-Cheese!!

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Apologies for not doing a post about roasting & pureeing butternut squash. Peel and cut the squash into cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 oven till the squash is tender. Cool and puree the squash in a blender.

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What You Will Need: One Pureed Butternut Squash, Garlic, Butter, Heavy Cream, Milk, Flour, Pasta Noodles, Parsley, Fresh Basil & Cheese of your Choice...I used Mozzarella.

First off, we will start by making a roux which is equal parts melted butter and flour. Melt 2 T. butter. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic & if desired, some red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Sprinkle in 2 T. Flour

Whisk, Whisk, Whisk! Make sure you don't leave any raw flour.

Add your heavy cream (16. oz)

Whisk away again. You don't want any clumps of flour in your sauce! Wait till it comes to a boil and check the thickness. You want a nice, creamy consistency, if its too thick...add some milk, bring back to a boil and check again.

When your pasta water is boiling, season with salt and dump in the noodles. Cook till al dente (which means 'firm to the bite')

To check your sauce, dip a spoon in and see if the sauce runs right off or coats the spoon.

Add in 2 T. each of chopped parsley and basil

Salt, Pepper and check for taste. At this point, you can turn off the heat

Add in your pureed Butternut Squash. Whisk till it is combined

The Squash is going to make the sauce a lot thicker...but don't worry, I have a trick!

Before you drain out the pasta, reserve a big mug (2 c.) of the starchy cooking liquid

Drain the pasta, place back in the pot & add your squash mixture

Mix and add the extra liquid to desired consistency. You will want it more on the runny side because the pasta will still absorb some of the liquid while baking.