Every other week we get a CSA box from Talley Farms.  The produce is so fresh and always encourages us to try new seasonal items but I've noticed that certain vegetables can be daunting to cook.  Enter squash.  Squash kind of reminds me of sweet potatoes.  If you try them and they aren't spiced and sliced right they can give a major ick factor.  But if you prepare them thoughtfully - chefs kiss. The other thing about squash is that it can be a huge vegetable.  How much squash can you incorporate to a single recipe without it being overwhelming? Enter squash mac & cheese. 

I prepared (and perfected!) this recipe half a dozen times over the holidays and you can make it with acorn squash or butternut squash.  The most important tips for this recipe are:

1. Make sure your squash is completely cooked through and mash it well

2. Add the cheese and heat it SLOWLY so it doesn't separate and muck up the texture of the sauce

3. Read the directions all the way through in case you want to 'make ahead' on any of steps for this dish.

7 garlic cloves minced

1 acorn squash (2 cups mashed)*

1 box of Etto 'trombe' pasta (4 cups of cooked noodles)

3 tbsp chives

6 tbsp salted butter

2 cups whole milk

2 cups of grated gouda cheese

1.5 tbsp dijon mustard

1.5 cups grated gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper

*can substitute acorn squash for butternut squash.  If using butternut squash, I recommend doubling the amount of dijon mustard and adding a sprinkle of parmesan to the top of your mac to offset the sweetness.

Directions:

1. (THIS STEP CAN BE DONE A DAY OR TWO IN ADVANCE IF DESIRED) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your squash in half, scoop out any squash guts and cook it facedown on parchment paper for about 30 mins until it’s cooked through (I poke it with a toothpick from the back to check).  I know its typical to add oil/salt to the inside on this step but I personally don't think it makes a difference… When you take the squash halves out of the oven flip them over and set them aside to cool.

2. Boil a large pot of salted water on the stovetop and cook/drain pasta as package directs.

3. Once squash is cooled, take a spoon (I like a larger serving spoon) and scoop out all of the flesh onto the parchment paper.  Discard the squash skins and mash the squash on the parchment paper.  I actually use a cocktail muddler for this step instead of a potato masher.  You could also purée in a food processor (but alas more dishes..).

4. In a separate pan on top of the stove melt the butter over medium heat.  Once melted add your garlic and cook until fragrant.  Pour in the milk and let it warm up but do not let it boil (adjust heat as necessary).

5. Stir the dijon mustard in and then begin to add handfuls of the gouda cheese in one at a time.  It is very important not to overheat and melt the cheese too quickly or it will separate and give you a nasty sticky texture.  Once the cheese is all in and at a 'Velveeta'-like texture you can scrape all your squash mash and chives into the same pan and mix them in until warmed.  Season with salt and pepper as desired. 

6. Once your cheese/squash mixture is well mixed and warmed, add in about 4 cups of cooked noodles, mix and pour into a baking dish.  (I love Etto pasta and highly recommend them but note that I don't add the entire standard sized box into this recipe).

7. Top the baking dish with all the gruyere cheese and broil until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.  Note: if you are preparing this ahead of time you can store in the fridge after topping with gruyere and to reheat I recommend baking uncovered at 350 for approximately 25 minutes.

This is the perfect opportunity to see if Costco has an $8 instant rebate to buy 14 pounds of pork butt. If not, you can use nice weekend weather, and/or having a beer full of fridge to come up with an excuse to fire up the pellet smoker for 8 hours.  If you don't have the time, or the excuses, pellet smoked bacon or simply done in the oven compliment this mac and cheese recipe very well.   - RS