![]() Shortly after we moved, there were a series of scary muggings in nearby parks in broad daylight, and a few of them happened along the path I had chosen for my daily afternoon walks with Honey and Barley. I never ever felt uncomfortable walking by myself or at home alone. This is not to say that there was no crime, but the police logs were mostly sparse, with the occasional weekend noise disturbance (thank you, Boston University). Since we moved from Brookline to Boston a couple of months ago, I’ve become acutely aware that I used to live in a very safe, very affluent, children-frolicking-in-the-parks sort of neighborhood. ![]() Let me preface this by saying I’m fine, Aaron’s fine, and the puggles are…obliviously content and cuddly as usual. I mean, I planned to tell you about Butternut Squash Macaroni as a follow-up to my How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash post last week, but I did not intend to get all heavy as I’m about to do. So, please let me share with you my love for cooking and while we are at it, let’s share some memories, because let’s be honest, we are also hungry for nostalgia.This is not exactly what I had planned to write about today. I grew up in the kitchen and for me, memories are always linked to food, and behind the food, well, there’s always a story that comes along. I’ve been living in Texas for 12 years and even when I love barbeque, fruit cobblers and sweet tea, there’s something that has the power of transporting me right back to my mom’s kitchen and gives me a little piece of home, cooking. I was born and raised in Monterrey Mexico. Broil on high for just a couple of minutes until the top is crispy and golden brown. Scatter the bread topping evenly over the mac and cheese and transfer to the oven.Stir in the dry parsley and parmesan cheese.Add the bred crumbs and stir constantly until they are golden in color, 5-8 minutes. Make the topping: In a medium skillet melt the butter and add the garlic.If your skillet is not broiler proof, transfer to a 9×13 baking dish. Use some of the pasta water for a more creamy consistency. Taste the cheese sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the shredded cheese and stir until is completely melted. Transfer the sauce to a large heavy bottom pan and turn the heat to medium low.Add some of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick. In a blender, add the roasted butternut squash, Mexican crema, salt, pepper, ground mustard and cumin.Cook the pasta according to package instructions.Season with salt and pepper and bake for 30-40 minutes until brown and very tender. place the butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. ![]() Save the pasta water! This is going to help you give the sauce a smooth, silky consistency and also because it is starchy water, it will help the sauce stick to the noodles. Make sure your pasta is just al dente since it’s going to continue cooking in the hot sauce and then under the broiler, you don’t want it too soft when you add it to the sauce. I struggle a lot cutting and peeling pumpkins (arthritis) so pre-peeled and cubed squash saves saves me a lot of time and keeps all my fingers on. Salt, pepper, ground mustard and cummin (this last one is optional but I think cumin goes so well with the sweetness of the butternut squash)įresh bread crumbs (just add day old bread to your food processor and pulse until very fine) ![]() Mexican crema, you can sub for creme fraiche or full fat greek yogurt What you need to make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. Can other mac and cheese do that? didn’t think so.ĭon’t skip the topping! that layer of garlicy crispy bread crumbs is the perfect way to finish this dish. Yes, there is dairy and cheese in this mac and cheese but also a lot of butternut squash which adds a lot sweetness, antioxidant and vitamins. It is not only delicious and cheesy but it also feels so much lighter than a traditional mac and cheese made with a roux. ![]()
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