Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

 

Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

A delicious twist on the popular Trader Joes mac & cheese. It includes roasted butternut squash for a creamy and slightly sweet taste. The “brown butter” involves cooking butter until it’s golden-brown for a rich, nutty flavor. A MUST try !!

Today, we’re making Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, but with a twist. We’re throwing in a delicious brown butter sage sauce! This is a MUST TRY!! Such a flavorful and cozy recipe to throw together. The brown butter sage combination complements the butternut squash beautifully and rounds out the flavors so well.

Few tips:

• When you’re making the brown butter sage sauce, use a light-colored pan so you can easily see when the butter turns golden-brown. Keep a close eye on it while it melts and foams, stirring occasionally. It can go from brown to burnt quickly, so be cautious.
• Add fresh sage leaves to the browning butter when it begins to foam for a delightful sage flavor. The sage leaves will become crispy and can be used as a garnish – or you can just include it in the sauce like I did.
• Save your pasta water!! We are going to be using it quite a bit througout this recipe.
• It’s better to save a bit more water than you think you’ll need. One cup of pasta water is typically a good starting point. You can always add more if needed.
• Be mindful of the saltiness of the pasta water. Assuming you salted the water you cooked your pasta in (which is definitely recommended), the saved pasta water will be salty. Adjust the salt in your sauce accordingly.
• The starch in pasta water helps to thicken and emulsify sauces, making them cling better to the pasta. When adding pasta water to your sauce, do it gradually. Start with a small amount and stir it in well. Continue adding more until you reach the desired consistency.
• Taste your mac and cheese before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can add more salt, pepper, or herbs to suit your taste. Cooking is a personal experience, always adjust to your preference!
• Mac and cheese is best served hot, straight from the stove or oven. Garnish with crispy sage leaves if desired or fresh sage.
• Side dishes: On this particular day, I paired my pasta with roasted chicken and broccolini! The perfect combination!

Process:

INGREDIENTS

  

• 1 lbs Rigatoni 16 ounces
• Set one cup of pasta water to the side

Brown butter sage:

• 8 tbsp Butter, unsalted 113 grams
• fresh Sage handful of fresh leaves

Roasted veggie tray:

• 1 Butternut squash
• 1 Garlic bulb 10 cloves garlic
• 1 Onion
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano

Cheeses:

• 4 oz White cheddar, freshly grated
• 4 oz Parmesan, freshly grated
• 6 oz Aged Gouda, freshly grated

Sauce – Throw these ingredients into your blender:

• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt start with 1/2 tsp and adjust (remember, the cheeses, and pasta water bring quite a bit of salt to this dish already)
• All of your roasted veggies
• 1/2 cup Pasta Water

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Roast the butternut squash, onion, and garlic for about 35-40 minutes at 400°F. Make sure to drizzle with olive oil & season a bit with salt, oregano, and pepper.
• Grate all of your cheeses and set them aside.
• Let's multitask! Make the pasta while your veggies are roasting in the oven. Cook the pasta in salted,boiling water until it's al dente, which usually takes about 8 minutes. Remember to save about 1 cup of that pasta water before draining it.
• As your pasta is cooking, it's a perfect time to start making your brown butter. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Keep a close eye on it, and when it starts foaming , add in those fresh sage leaves. When you see those sage leaves crisping up, and your butter begin to brown – you know it's ready. Remove it from the heat and add to a heat proof bowl or measuring cup.
• When your pasta reaches al dente, strain it into a strainer with a plate underneath to catch any drips (remember to save your pasta water). While it's in the strainer, immediately toss it with some of that golden brown butter sauce. This prevents the pasta from sticking to itself and adds a burst of flavor. Set the pasta aside.
• Now let's check on our roasted veggies. Our butternut squash should be soft and slightly caramelized after about 35 minutes. When it's done, take it out of the oven and let it cool just a bit.
• Once it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the inside, leaving the skin behind. Add the butternut squash to your blender along with your onion (peel back outer layer) and your Garlic (squeeze out the garlic).
• Also add 1/3 cup of pasta water, as well as the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
• Blend it until it's silky smooth and aromatic.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, stir in the butternut squash purée and let it simmer on low heat.
• Slowly add in your freshly grated cheeses, adding in splashes of pasta water until youre happy with the consistency.
• Taste! Here's where you want to taste and see if you'd like to adjust the seasoning! Cooking is a personal experience, make it taste the way you'd prefer :,)
• Lastly, toss in your brown butter coated pasta. (add in any drips that may have been left behind on the pate we used under our strainer)
• Let your pasta and sauce simmer for about a minute or so.
• Garnish with sage, serve warm, and you're done!

                                            KEYWORD

brownbuttersagesauce, butternutsquash, dinner recipe, easy dinner idea, macandcheese