Creamy Butternut Squash Rigatoni

Fall is finally starting to peek around the corner, and when that crisp air hits there’s nothing better than a plate of a creamy, comfort-filled food. Here’s a healthy, hearty pasta dish with a sauce that’s so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. And you should! Inspired by everyone’s-favorite macaroni and cheese dish, the sauce here has a bit of a “secret” seasonal twist that keeps it rich and creamy but with far less weight than the classic cheese-and-butter-based sauce.

The secret? Butternut squash. When caramelized in the oven and blended with roasted garlic, shallots, broth and toasted pecans, the squash adds a rich, buttery flavor that brilliantly mimics the color and creaminess of cheese sauce from the blue box. The toasted pecans add a dose of heart-healthy fats and richness to the silky sauce. And a bit of aged gruyere adds nuttiness.  Finally, salty, crisped prosciutto adds a deep umami punch (and crunch!) that perfectly balances the sweetness in the squash. I toss in a few fresh herbs for a light touch of flavor that brightens the entire dish.

This dish is delicious but also happens to make a serious dent in the calorie and fat content of good ole mac-and-cheese. Most cheesy-baked pasta recipes call for more than a pound of cheese, but this recipe keeps it flavorful with just four ounces of high-powered aged cheeses. And it remains rich and creamy thanks to the squash.

Make a double batch of the sauce and stir it into whole grains, drizzle over vegetables or spoon over grilled chicken or pork tenderloin. You’ll want to put this one on repeat!

Creamy Butternut Squash Rigatoni

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 shallot, peeled and quartered
• ½ cup fresh basil or sage, divided
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta (or other large tube-shaped pasta)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ¾ cup chopped pecans, toasted, and divided
• 3 ounces cave-aged Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine squash, garlic, shallot, ¼ cup basil, oil and ½ teaspoon salt on a large baking sheet. Toss to coat. Bake 25-30 minutes or until squash is very tender and caramelized, stirring once.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.

Place the roasted squash mixture in a blender. Add ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, broth and ½ cup pecans. Blend until smooth. Place squash mixture in a bowl; stir in 2 ounces Gruyere cheese.

Add pasta to squash mixture, stir until combined. Spoon mixture into a 9 X 9-inch baking dish coasted with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining 1-ounce gruyere and parmesan cheese over pasta mixture.

Arrange the prosciutto over the cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup toasted pecans. Top with additional basil.

Sidney Fry is a two-time James-Beard-Award-winning food and nutrition writer who loves creating simple, healthy recipes and thoughtful, actionable content for the hungry consumer. A healthy living proactivist, Sidney is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, recipe developer and mama of three based in Birmingham, Alabama.