Cheesy Butternut Squash and Pasta Bake Recipe

One of my favorite things on earth to eat is macaroni and cheese. Especially with bacon. Mmmmmm, bacon.

But considering I have high cholesterol and am trying to not gain weight, I know it’s not the best choice for me to actually consume it very often. Recently I was looking at the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and came across a lower calorie mac and cheese type recipe, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

What I like about this recipe is A. you use a little less pasta, so less carbs B. you add lots of vitamin A-rich butternut squash and C. there isn’t a ton of cheese so it’s lower in fat. Win-win!

This recipe includes reduced-sodium bacon as a topping but of course you could not use it, or use turkey bacon instead. I chose to do it this time with no bacon.

3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

8 oz dried cavatappi or elbow macaroni

1 Tbsp. butter

8 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free milk

6 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

2 slices reduced-sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine squash and 2 Tbsp. water. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Stir, re-wrap then microwave for another 4 minutes or until squash is soft. Mash it and set it aside.
3. Cook pasta according to instructions and drain. In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat. Then add mushrooms and green onions. Cook until tender or about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture. Cook and stir for a minute. Then add milk and 1/4 tsp. of both salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in squash. Then add pasta and gently fold to combine everything.
4. Transfer half the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Add the remaining mixture and cheese. Top with bacon and/or additional green onions if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Each serving contain 334 calories, 12 grams fat, 39 mg cholesterol, 366 mg sodium, 42 grams carb, 3 grams fiber and 16 grams protein.

Not-so-great iPhone photo, next time I’ll use a real camera

I used a slightly different pasta (corkscrew shaped) and didn’t use the bacon or green onions, so mine was probably less fat and calories than the full recipe. But I can see how adding these items would make it even more flavorful, so I probably will next time.

The fontina cheese made the dish special because it has a mildly sharp and nutty taste, and the squash makes it creamy and sweet.

Dig in!

-Kelly