Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I'm a fan of being up front.

That's why I have to tell you right now that this macaroni and cheese is not made with macaroni.

I'm pretty sure that one of the few rules, one of the only rules of mac and cheese actually, is that it should be made with macaroni. And, you know, cheese, obviously.

Well, I'm a rule breaker.

Actually, that is completely untrue. Let's be honest here. 

Picture the most rule-breakery person of all the rule-breakery people you know. Then totally disregard that image.

Now, picture the least rule-breakery person you know. Then take it down a notch and maybe about 15 steps back. There, that's about right. Maybe one more step back. Yeah, there we go.

I'm fairly certain the only time I ever broke a rule was that one day in elementary school when all the kids decided it would be a brilliant idea to get out of P.E. with "notes from our parents." I think a beep test may have been involved, so in retrospect, not the worst idea ever.

That day, like the rest of the kids, I wrote a fake note from my parents trying to get me out of my 4th grade gym class.

It didn't work.

For one, I doubt my teachers would have believed my parents had handwriting like... well, like that.

That's not why it didn't work though.

It didn't work because I never gave it to the gym teacher. I never even took it out of my pocket, which is how my mom found it when she went to do the laundry that night. I didn't even get punished, I just got the "disappointed in you" bit and then locked myself in my room and cried. Yes, that's right, I punished myself. If there was some kind of class in Rule Breaking I'm pretty sure I would have just flunked it.

But today I'm going to prove everyone wrong. Because today I used SHELLS instead of MACARONI. That's right, mull that one over folks.

It was partly because I think shells are just so perfect for scooping up all that creamy, cheesy, butternutty goodness. But also because that was what I had on hand.

So it's up to you really.

You can be a boring rule follower and use macaroni noodles or you can be a daredevil like me and break the mold for a minute or two.... or three. No, that might be excessive. Let's stick to two.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Serves 6

1 lb butternut squash (about 3 cups), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes—frozen or pre-cut squash are great alternatives if you can find them since butternut squash can be hard to work with

1 ½  cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups milk

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound pasta (shells or macaroni work best)

5 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pot or saucepan, combine the butternut squash, broth, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, this should take about 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat. With a potato masher or other tool, mash contents of saucepan until smooth. Add the nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and butter. Stir until combined.

Meanwhile, while the butternut squash mixture is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions, this usually takes about 7-8 minutes.  You don’t want the pasta to be cooked too much; otherwise, it will be soft and mushy once baked. Drain, and add to the completed butternut squash mixture. Add cheddar and half (2 ounces) of the Parmesan cheese, stir until combined.

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil. Transfer pasta mixture into dish. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 ounces parmesan, the breadcrumbs, and oil; sprinkle evenly on top of pasta mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until warmed throughout and crisp and lightly browned on top. Serve hot.