Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen butternut squash cubes
• 4 Tbsp. salted butter
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided (from Bulk Barn)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (from Bulk Barn)
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (from Bulk Barn)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (from Bulk Barn)
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Half a cup of shredded cheddar (Maybe a little extra to sprinkle on top if desired)
• Half a cup of cottage cheese
• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta (from Bulk Barn)

Directions:

1. Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Cook the Squash: In a large Dutch Oven pot over medium-high heat, combine the butternut squash and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender which takes about 5 minutes. Cook and stir until the liquid has completely evaporated.
3. Make the Sauce: Add butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pot and stir until the butter is melted. Add flour and stir until the mixture thickens. Once it is thickened, it almost looks like a dough! Slowly add the milk and continue stirring to ensure you keep that thick texture. Add garlic powder, cayenne, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Add cheddar and cottage cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Cook the Pasta: Add the orecchiette pasta to the boiling water and cook for 11 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta but make sure to save some pasta water just in case the sauce needs to be thinned out.
5. Blend the Squash Mixture: Transfer the squash mixture to a blender and puree until creamy and smooth!
6. Combine Pasta and Sauce: Pour the sauce back into the Dutch Oven pot and put over medium-low heat. Add the pasta and stir until the pasta is perfectly coated. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes - if you can resist diving in right away!

Notes:

• If the sauce is thick - add splashes of pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
• If the sauce is too thin - give it time to cool, it will thicken up. If this still doesn't do the trick, don't be afraid to add some more shredded cheese!
• If you want to make this ahead of time: add breadcrumbs to the top and bake it in the oven later to reheat it. But if you plan to do this method, make sure the sauce is a little runnier by adding that pasta water in before because it will thicken as you bake it later. And you don't want to dry it out!

Enjoy a creamy, comforting bowl of Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese made with love and Bulk Barn ingredients!