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Butternut squash and kale mac ’n’ cheese recipe

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Add this mac 'n' cheese recipe to your midweek meal repertoire. It's studded with roasted butternut chunks, coated in a gloriously silky sauce that's got creamy soft cheese stirred through it and extra dollops on top for the ultimate comfort food dish. Dig in! See method

Serves 4
20 mins to prepare and 55 mins to cook
854 calories / serving

Ingredients

500g pack butternut squash (or ½ an average-sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks)
1 tbsp olive oil
100g curly kale
350g pasta shapes (we used fusilli)

For the cheese sauce

40g butter
50g flour
450ml skimmed milk
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
120g soft cheese
100g extra-mature Cheddar, grated
½ lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
20g Parmesan, finely grated
green salad, to serve (optional)

If you don't have any butternut squash, try sweet potato

Each serving contains

Energy
3590kj
854kcal 43%
Fat
38g 55%
Saturates
19g 94%
Sugars
15g 17%
Salt
1.5g 25%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 98.3g Protein 29.2g Fibre 7.5g

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200˚C, fan 180˚C. Spread the squash over a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and season. Roast for 25-35 mins or until cooked through and slightly charred around the edges.
Remove the kale leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Cut the leaves into 5cm pieces. Bring a large pan of water to boil and cook the pasta for 4 mins less than pack instructions. For the last 2 mins of cooking, add the kale leaves to the pan. Drain, then set aside while you make the sauce.

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For the cheese sauce, make a roux. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisking continuously, mix in the milk. Stir over a medium heat until thickened. Remove and stir in the nutmeg, most of the soft cheese (reserving a few teaspoons for topping), the Cheddar and lemon zest and juice. Season well to taste.

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In a large bowl, gently toss the pasta and kale with the roasted butternut, white sauce and pine nuts. Spoon into an ovenproof dish and top with the Parmesan and a few teaspoons of soft cheese.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until heated through. Serve with a green salad, if you like.