Butternut Squash Garlic Mac'n' Cheese

My son passed this recipe on to me. It's my new FAVORITE!! You have to try it, it's so easy to make.

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

8 oz gluten-free quinoa fusilli pasta (I used 12 oz)

2 cups cubed butternut squash (I used 4 cups) (peel the skin and take out seeds before cutting)

2 tbsp grape seed oil (I used 4 tbsp of canola oil)

Sea salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced (I used 8 cloves)

3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (I used 1 1/2 cups)

3 tbsp vegetable broth (I used 6 tbsp)

3 - 4 tbsp nutritional yeast (I used 6 tbsp)

1/4 tsp hot sauce (I used the 1/4 tsp then added a very slight pinch of cayenne pepper)

(I added a 1/2 cup of vegan parmesan cheese)

(I added one bunch of broccoli, steamed)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt liberally. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, drain, and set aside. Cover with a towel to keep warm.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add the butternut squash to foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp grape seed oil and sprinkle with a healthy pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and add to the bowl of a high-speed blender for food processor. Set aside.

4. Heat the same saucepan used earlier to cook the pasta over medium heat. Once hot, add the remaining 1 tbsp of grape seed oil and the garlic. Saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir frequently.

5. Add the garlic to the blender or processor with the butternut squash. Add another healthy pinch of salt and pepper, almond milk, broth, and nutritional yeast (I added the vegan parmesan cheese too). Blend until creamy and smooth. The sauce should be thick but pourable, so add more broth or almond milk to thin if necessary. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness (or more vegan parmesan) or a bit of hot sauce for heat (optional) I added 1/4 tsp hot sauce.

6. Add the mixture back to the saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Cook to heat/thicken for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

7. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce (this is where I added the broccoli too) and toos to coat. Serve immediately with more vegan parmesan (if desired), red pepper flakes (if desired, I didn't add them) and fresh parsley (if desired).

Enjoy!

Ready to eat!

Getting the squash ready for the blender.

After cooking the squash I blended it until smooth.

I added steamed broccoli to my recipe.

After all ingredients are added to the blender and it's smooth transfer to the pot and cook for a few more minutes. After cooking a bit you add the broccoli and pasta.