Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

The creaminess and richness of classic mac and cheese without all the dairy and cream! This recipe was easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash

• 1 handful of fresh sage leaves

• Lemon zest from 1 lemon

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1-2 cups of vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• Parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper

• Your favorite short pasta cooked aldente (penne, farfalle, rigatoni, etc…I used a whole grain penne from barilla)

Prep:

1. Peel and cut butternut squash the long ways, then cut it into 1/2-1 inch cubes. Throw the cubed squash into a large bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

2. Cook your favorite pasta aldente, drizzle the cooked pasta with olive oil so it doesn’t stick together and set aside. I cooked just under 1 pound of pasta.

3. In a non-stick skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the sage leaves. The smell is amazing! Cook them for 2 minutes, and transfer the leaves to a bowl with the lemon zest. Set aside.

4. When the squash is cooked, transfer directly into a large bowl with 1 cup of vegetable stock, butter, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese. I used a hand blender to pure everything into a thick soup like mixture! (Hand blender I used: here)

5. Mix the squash mixture in with the pasta, and top with the sage leaves and lemon! I sprinkled mine with parmesan cheese.