Butternut squash is the secret ingredient to mac and cheese you never knew you needed

Silky, luxurious sauce without flour? Butternut squash is the most important ingredient in this mac and cheese

A bowl of this mac and cheese is what you need after a tough day.

Veggie-phobic families have to be wily sometimes, and butternut squash mac and cheese offers a solution that might work for your vegetable refusers. 

Puréed into the sauce, the squash adds depth and richness to the cheese sauce, which doesn't need any flour to thicken it. 

If you want to make it your own, try adding shards of crispy bacon or caramelised onion to the sauce. Add thyme to the breadcrumb mixture and feel free to play with the cheese combination, using your favourites. 

The key to the success of this recipe is cooking the squash in milk. It adds a creamy note to the vegetable that completely transforms it. Ready in 30 minutes, this new take on a mac and cheese might be a mainstay of your midweek menu from now on. 

Butternut squash mac and cheese

Butternut squash is the essential ingredient in this silky smooth mac and cheese

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed

• 350ml milk

• Salt and pepper

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• Grating of nutmeg

• 450g macaroni or small pasta shells

• 100g strong Cheddar, grated

• 50g Parmesan or Grana Padano, grated

• 50g mascarpone (optional)

• For the breadcrumbs (otional): 

• 100g breadcrumbs

• 2tbsp butter

Method

1. Place the butternut squash, milk and 150ml water into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the garlic, nutmeg and salt and pepper. 

2. After 15-20 minutes, pierce the squash with a knife. If there is no resistance, turn off the heat and leave to cool slightly while you cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. 

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 

4. Using a stick blender, purée the butternut squash in its cooking liquid. Stir in the pasta and cheeses, stirring until the cheeses are melted and the sauce has come together. Taste, adding more seasoning if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin it out. 

5. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and stir the breadcrumbs in foaming butter until golden and crispy. Scatter on top of the mac and cheese just before serving.