Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese Skillet

Happy Friday!

I was trying to pick which recipe I wanted to post today and decided to go with something meatless 'cause, ya know, it's Friday! :)

Another twist on a classic (it's sorta Mac & Cheese-y), I wouldn't be surprised if this pasta dish became a fall favorite! I'm a huge fan of the Butternut Squash Triangoli from Trader Joe's, which is what drew my attention to this recipe. The ingredients alone are enough to make me say "yes, please!"...although the chances of me using whole wheat pasta shells are about a likely as my eating kale*, which is to say infinitesimally small. :)

 

I found this blog via...you guessed it, Pinterest. It's a really fun site...the gal who writes it does a good job and I would recommend checking it out if you have time. For the sake of saving space I didn't include her commentary on this recipe, but it is worth reading. :)

 

Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese Skillet

Yield: serves 4-6  Prep Time: 30 minutes  Cook Time: 15 minutes  Total Time: 45-50 minutes
 

 

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta shells
4 cups 1/2-inch cubed uncooked butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups skim milk (or unsweetened almond or coconut)
6 ounces freshly grated fontina cheese
2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted brown butter
2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
fresh chopped herbs for garnish (sage, basil, cilantro, thyme)
 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare water for pasta and once it comes to a boil, cook pasta according to directions, then drain.

 

While water is boiling, heat a large cast-iron (or oven-safe) skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil, then toss in squash with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add stock and cover skillet, cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is soft and can easily be mashed. Remove cover and reduce heat to low. Mash squash with a potato masher or forks, smoothing it out with a spoon to remove all of the chunks. Add in milk, 4 ounces of fontina and all of the parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. If mixture still seems way too starchy, add in additional milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring for a while. Stir in brown butter, again mixing for a minute or so until incorporated. Taste and season additionally if desired.

 

Fold shells into the sauce, taking a few minutes to fully toss the shells so they are all coated. Top with remaining fontina cheese (or as much as you see fit) and breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes. If a bubbly, golden topping is desired, broil for 1-2 minutes on high after cooking. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve!

 

To brown the butter: Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add butter. Whisking constantly, cook butter until bubbly and until small brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan – about 5-6 minutes. Watch closely and immediately remove the butter from the heat, whisking for an additional 30 seconds or so.

 

 

For the printable version, click here.

 

Enjoy and happy cooking!

 

~ Katie

* NOTE: That commentary was written a few weeks ago, before I unintentionally ingested the aforementioned offensive foliage, disguised as ordinary lettuce in my otherwise delicious salad. Am I being a bit over dramatic about its consumption? Yes. Am I doing it for affect? Also yes. Do I still think kale (of the uncooked variety) should be avoided at all cost? A third and final yes. :)