1 pound macaroni with ridges, such as tubettini or mini penne rigate
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 medium onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 10-ounce box frozen cooked butternut squash, defrosted; or 1 small butternut squash, cooked and pureed
1 cup cream or half-and-half
2 cups (8 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water, then add the pasta and cook al dente (with a bite to it.)
While the pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand-held grater or Microplane.
Cook the grated onions for a minute or 2, then add the flour and cook together for a minute or 2 more.
Whisk in the stock, then add the butternut squash and cook until warmed through and smooth.
Stir in the cream and bring the sauce to a bubble.
Stir in the cheeses in a figure-eight motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Drain the cooked pasta well and combine with the sauce.
5 SERVINGS
This is a delicious meal and we look forward to it every year. It makes a lot, so we are going to serve it to our guests tomorrow as a side dish to the chicken patties.
I used dried thyme again for the fresh. The other change I made was to add fresh squash to the ingredient list. I know this makes it take significantly longer than 30 minutes, but I can never find frozen squash in the store. I think the fresh cooked squash is probably much tastier too.
RR says: "I know it sounds odd, but my girl [her dog, Boo] LOVED butternut squash! This dog might even go for it before a steak, especially if there were also pasta and cheese involved in the deal."
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