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a bowl of elbow macaroni evenly coated in a smooth thick orange butternut-and-cheddar cheese sauce, without squash chunks, breadcrumb topping or garnish
Andre Lewis

Butternut Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese

Blend the roasted squash with cottage cheese before adding it to the pasta, because a smooth sauce freezes and reheats more evenly than a mixture with dry curds scattered through it. Cheddar goes in off heat, where it can melt gently without turning grainy. This is a soft stovetop macaroni with no crumb topping to lose its crunch in storage. Leave the sauce slightly loose when packing the portions, since the pasta will absorb some moisture as it cools and again as it warms.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb peeled butternut squash cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt divided
  • 12 oz dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp whole milk per portion for reheating

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss squash with oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until very tender.
  2. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, following the package time; drain well.
  3. Blend warm squash, cottage cheese, the 1 1/2 cups milk, mustard, remaining salt and pepper until completely smooth. Pour into the empty pasta pot and warm over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar a handful at a time until melted. Fold in macaroni; keep the sauce loose rather than simmering it down.
  5. Divide among six shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and chill fully. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months for best texture.
  6. Reheat one frozen portion in a microwave-safe bowl with its measured milk under a loose microwave-safe cover at 50 percent power for 3 minutes. Break apart and stir, then heat at full power in 30-second bursts, stirring between them, until the whole portion reaches 165°F, usually another 2 to 4 minutes.