Oh oh oh my love for cheese 🧀 Few things can compete. Tonight, I made a Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with lots of Spinach! While lots of vegan versions of this dish skip the cheese, I used the butternut squash as a way to add extra nutrients and depth of flavor and as a way to avoid adding BUTTER! Oh and it’s gluten free, you are welcome!
Ingredients
- 1/2 peeled butternut squash
- 1/4 cup EVOO (divided)
- 1 onion cut in half
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (Italian variety is my favorite)
- S&P to taste
- 1 box Chickpea pasta for taste and protein since this dish is meatless (use whatever pasta you’d like)
- 1 bag mixed Italian cheese
- 1 block frozen spinach or 6 cups fresh
- 1/4 cup milk
- Nonstick bake spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Bake butternut squash and onion cut in half with 1 tbsp EVOO in the oven for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft.
- Remove from oven and let cool… turn oven down to 350
- Place onion (peeled) and squash in a high power blender with chicken broth, nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning and blend until combined.
- Now cook your pasta and add the spinach when it is almost done cooking. It defrosts more in the strainer.
- Strain the pasta and spinach.
- Add the butternut squash sauce to your pan and add the cheese stir over medium heat until cheese melts. Now add 1/4 cup milk and mix until it looks like thick cheese sauce! Add in your pasta and spinach and either serve here or bake
- To bake, place in non-stick sprayed Pyrex or baking dish and add breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-45 minutes
- Enjoy!
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