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Butternut squash and kale mac ’n’ cheese recipe

Butternut squash and kale mac ’n’ cheese recipe

5 ratings

Add this mac 'n' cheese recipe to your midweek meal repertoire. It's studded with roasted butternut chunks, coated in a gloriously silky sauce that's got creamy soft cheese stirred through it and extra dollops on top for the ultimate comfort food dish. Dig in! See method

  • Serves 4
  • 20 mins to prepare and 55 mins to cook
  • 854 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 500g pack butternut squash (or ½ an average-sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g curly kale
  • 350g pasta shapes (we used fusilli)

For the cheese sauce

  • 40g butter
  • 50g flour
  • 450ml skimmed milk
  • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 120g soft cheese
  • 100g extra-mature Cheddar, grated
  • ½ lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 20g Parmesan, finely grated
  • green salad, to serve (optional)
If you don't have any butternut squash, try sweet potato

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    3590kj
    854kcal
    43%
  • Fat

    38g 55%
  • Saturates

    19g 94%
  • Sugars

    15g 17%
  • Salt

    1.5g 25%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 98.3g Protein 29.2g Fibre 7.5g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200˚C, fan 180˚C. Spread the squash over a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and season. Roast for 25-35 mins or until cooked through and slightly charred around the edges.

  2. Remove the kale leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Cut the leaves into 5cm pieces. Bring a large pan of water to boil and cook the pasta for 4 mins less than pack instructions. For the last 2 mins of cooking, add the kale leaves to the pan. Drain, then set aside while you make the sauce.

  3. For the cheese sauce, make a roux. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisking continuously, mix in the milk. Stir over a medium heat until thickened. Remove and stir in the nutmeg, most of the soft cheese (reserving a few teaspoons for topping), the Cheddar and lemon zest and juice. Season well to taste.

  4. In a large bowl, gently toss the pasta and kale with the roasted butternut, white sauce and pine nuts. Spoon into an ovenproof dish and top with the Parmesan and a few teaspoons of soft cheese.

  5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until heated through. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

See more Pasta recipes

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