Mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food made with ingredients we all know and love: macaroni pasta and cheese sauce. And frankly, we couldn’t resist giving our Italian twist to the American classic. After all, pasta is the main ingredient (something we Italians know a thing or two about) and we love a creative challenge!
Butternut Squash Celentani is a delicious alternative and the perfect solution for a lovely dinner with friends and family. It’s easy to prepare and only takes an hour and a half from start to finish! Prepared and sampled by Italian chefs in our Test Kitchen, here’s an easy, flavorful, rich and creamy mac and cheese recipe to start your holiday season (or Sunday lunch) off right!
Did we mention that butternut squash and almonds are great for a healthy diet and suitable for vegetarians as well?
Buon appetito!
Butternut Squash Celentani
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for 8
1 qt. milk
11⁄2 lb. pasta, such as celentani (tubular corkscrews)
1 lb. butternut squash
21⁄2 cups Pecorino, grated
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
1⁄2 cup almonds, with skin
1⁄2 cup almonds, without skin
orange
salt
Method
Combine the flour with the butter in a bowl and mix until homogenous.
Slice the butternut squash in half and remove seeds.
Pour the milk into a pot.
Chop the squash into 1” pieces and add to the milk.
Bring the milk and squash to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, season with salt and mix to form a purée.
Cook the purée over a medium flame and whisk in the butter and flour mixture as well as the grated Pecorino.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Slice the almonds, spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, then set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the celentani until al dente.
Drain, then toss in the butternut squash sauce.
To serve: Top with pumpkin seeds, the toasted and sliced almonds, and some orange zest.
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