"Healthy" Mac & Cheese

I discovered a version of this pre-Deceptively Delicious.  It's evolved over the years, and it's now one of my husband's top three favorite dinners.  The kids love it as well, especially Cecily. It's a great dinner to make ahead- I often make it in the morning while my older daughter is at school and my younger daughter is napping, and then just keep it in the oven until it's time to throw it in the oven.

"Healthy" Mac & Cheese

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

8 oz vegetable stock

8 oz milk (any kind will work, even plain soymilk- I use 1%)

pinch nutmeg

pinch cayenne (I use a fairly mild cayenne with the kids in mind)

salt and pepper

1 lb pasta (I use whole wheat Fusilli from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)

1 lb ricotta cheese (I use part-skim)

2 cups grated cheddar (I use Cabot Seriously Sharp)

1 cup shredded parmesan

1 cup breadcrumbs (if I don't have any on hand, I grind up a slice of whole wheat bread in my mini-cuisinart- works great)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 375F 20 minutes before baking

2.  Combine prepared squash, stock, and milk in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer until squash is tender.  Add nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mash together to form a smooth sauce (I use a potato masher right in the pot; I've also used the paddle attachment with my stand mixer but that makes more dishes and I haven't noticed a big difference in how everything turns out).

3.  While the squash cooks, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

4.  Drain pasta; add it to the squash mixture.  Add ricotta and cheddar, and stir to combine well.

5.  Pour the mixture into the mac & cheese pan of your choice.  (I used to use a deep round baking dish.  My husband loves the topping so much that I've started using a 9 x 13 baking dish to make even more topping.)  Refrigerate until ready to bake.

6.  Just before baking, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, and olive oil in a small bowl.  (The amounts for this are approximate, add or subtract depending on how much topping you're going for.)  Spread evenly over the mac & cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake for about 35 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 10 - 15 mins until topping is golden.