Serves: 8
Fruits and Vegetables: ¼ cup per serving
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup milk, low-fat or fat-free
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cheese, macaroni and cheese blend of American, Cheddar, and Swiss
4 cups whole-wheat elbow pasta or any small-shape, uncooked
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions
- Wash and prepare butternut squash.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add squash and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer squash to a blender. Save pot of water.
- Add milk, butter, and cheese to the blender with the squash. Blend until smooth.
- Bring the pot of water to a boil again and add pasta. Cook until tender following directions on package.
- When pasta is tender, remove from heat, drain, and return to pot. Add cheese and butternut squash mixture to the pasta and toss.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Tips
- To soften squash skin before peeling, poke with a fork several times and microwave on high for about 3 minutes.
- For a lower fat option, substitute with a reduced-fat cheese.
- Add a dash garlic or mustard powder to spice it up.
- Try fresh herbs such as sage.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: about 1 cup; Calories: 240; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Fiber: 4 g; Fat: 8 g; Saturated fat: 3.5 g; Sodium: 180 mg