It’s our first post of the new year!
It should be no surprise that we are starting off with pasta. And cheese. Two of our most favourite foods in the whole entire world. Because what is more satisfying than a giant pan of pasta tossed with a creamy butternut squash sauce, covered with more cheese and baked until bubbly and brown? That’s right, nothing.
One of my goals for 2020 is to eat as much satisfying and delicious food as possible. I like to set realistic goals for myself, and this is one I can definitely achieve.
I first saw this idea over at one of my most favourite food blogs in the whole world and thought I could simplify it a tad, because that’s how I roll here.
This butternut squash pasta bake is loaded with a WHOLE butternut squash. It’s a great way to add a little more nutrition and flavour to a creamy and cheesy sauce, just like our super simple creamy macaroni and cheese. But let’s be clear, there is no ‘hiding’ that squash in there. My daughter actually helped me cook this up and her favourite task was scooping out the squash flesh. You want to get kids to try more food? The best way is to get them involved in the cooking, not sneaking it into their meals.
I did also leave some plain pasta and cheese on the side to be considerate to my little ones as this was a new dish for them. They tried it but weren’t huge fans yet. That’s okay, I’ll try again. And more Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake for me!
Dara
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
Dietary | Vegetarian |
Meal type | Main Dish |
Website | Adapted from How Sweet Eats |
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (halved and seeded)
- 1 Pound short pasta (penne or cavatappi work well)
- 14oz can diced tomatoes with oil and garlic
- 3/4 cups milk
- 1 1/2 Cups grated mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided)
- 475 Gram container ricotta cheese
Directions
1. | Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place butternut squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake until very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle and reduce oven temperature to 375. |
2. | Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain. |
3. | In the same pot you used to cook the pasta, scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash and add the canned tomatoes. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. |
4. | Add the milk and heat over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted. |
5. | Remove from heat and add pasta. Stir until evenly coated. Place in a 9 x 13 pyrex that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Dollop ricotta cheese over top in evenly spaced out mounds and sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over top. |
6. | Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until brown and bubbly. Switch oven to broil for cook for another minute or two until cheese is really brown. Remove and devour! |
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