comfort food with a twist!

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods.  I don't eat it often because it is filled with... cheese... and be close to 1,000 calories and 40g of fat per serving!!

Last weekend, I tried a new recipe from Cooking Light that I highly recommend!  It uses butternut squash as that base which gives the cheese sauce a thick, creamy aspect without the added fat.  It also adds fat free Greek yogurt to give the sauce a slight tangy taste! Yum!

Butternut squash is a great vegetable- it's filled with vitamin A and C, naturally low in calories, and has no fat!!  I used a mix of part-skim cheddar and mozzarella cheese instead of the Gruyere and Parmesan! (That switch is up to you!)  This came out great- and because I substituted part-skim cheese for the suggested cheese, the added saturated fat and caloric content was significantly reduced!

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese (I used 1 cup of part-skim Mozzarella)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese (I used 1 cup of part-skim Cheddar)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (skipped)
• 1 pound uncooked cavatappi
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (skipped)
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined. (I used a hand blender that allowed me to puree directly in the sauce pan- it was much easier.  Frankly, you don't even need to puree this... you can squash everything and mix the ingredients by hand, and it would be just fine!  Remember- you can/should switch to a low-fat or part-skim cheese!!)

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. (The sauce will seem watery, but this will firm up when you bake it!!)

5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.  (I skipped this whole step and just added about 3 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs to the top!  It tasted just fine!!)

6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

 

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving- if you use my version- you will cut down on the calories and both total fat and saturated fat even more!

• Calories: 390
• Fat: 10.9g
• Saturated fat: 6.1g
• Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g
• Protein: 19.1g
• Carbohydrate: 53.9g
• Fiber: 3.2g
• Cholesterol: 31mg
• Iron: 2.4mg
• Sodium: 589mg
• Calcium: 403mg
 

Compared to The Classic Macaroni and Cheese!:
• 908 calories per serving
• 963 milligrams sodium
• 36 grams saturated fat