Butternut squash & sage macaroni cheese
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (deseeded and cut into chunks)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 15 sage leaves (6 finely chopped)
- 85g butter
- 2 tsp English mustard powder
- 85g plain flour
- 1L of semi skimmed milk
- 50g parmesan/vegetarian alternative (finely grated)
- 250g pack of extra mature or mature cheese (grated)
- 450g macaroni
Method
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss two-thirds of the butternut squash with the olive oil and seasoning, and roast for 20 minutes until nearly soft. Chop the remaining squash coarsely, put in a heatproof bowl with 100ml water and cover with cling film. Microwave on High for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and mash.
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Fry the onion in a knob of butter until softened but not browned – about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped sage and cook for 1 minute more, then add the remaining butter to melt. Stir in the flour and mustard powder, and cook for 1 minute until it forms a paste. Gradually whisk in dashings of milk (you can add in bigger additions as you go) until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat and whisk in the mashed squash, 200g of the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Season to taste.
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Cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well, then stir into the sauce with the roasted squash. Tip into a baking dish and scatter with the remaining cheese and sage leaves.
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 again. Splash the sage leaves with oil and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
