Baked Red Kuri Squash Mac & Cheese

Baked Red Kuri Squash Mac & Cheese

Makes: 10-16 servings

Pan: 9 × 16 inch baking dish

Oven: 375°F (190°C)

Ingredients

• 340 g (12 oz) elbow macaroni

• 3 cups cooked Red Kuri squash purée

• 7-8 tbsp butter, approximately

• 6 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour, approximately

• Half-and-half cream, as needed

• 2 cups shredded old/sharp cheddar cheese, approximately

• 1 tsp salt

• Paprika, to taste

• A few pinches black pepper

• Reserved pasta water, as needed

Directions

1. Prepare the Red Kuri squash Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and stringy centre, then peel and cut the flesh into chunks. Boil until completely fork-tender, drain thoroughly and purée until smooth. Measure 3 cups of purée and set aside.
   

2. Cook the macaroni Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni until just al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 1-2 cups of pasta water so you have plenty available for adjusting the sauce. Drain the macaroni and transfer it directly into an approximately 9 × 16-inch baking dish.
   

3. Make the roux Melt approximately 7-8 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add approximately 6 heaping tablespoons flour, whisking continuously until incorporated. Cook briefly to remove the raw flour taste without browning the roux.
   

Gradually whisk in half-and-half cream, adding it by feel rather than relying on an exact measurement. Continue whisking and cooking until the mixture becomes smooth, light and fluffy. The roux will continue changing considerably once the squash and cheese are added, so don't worry about achieving the final sauce consistency at this stage.

4. Build the Red Kuri cheese sauce Stir the 3 cups Red Kuri purée into the roux until evenly incorporated. Add the sharp cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, paprika and a few pinches of black pepper. Stir over low heat until the cheddar has completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
   

5. Adjust with pasta water Gradually stir reserved pasta water into the sauce until it becomes creamy, smooth and fairly loose. Add a little at a time, stir thoroughly and reassess before adding more.
   

This step is intentionally touch and go. The amount needed will depend on how thick your roux is, how much half-and-half was used and the moisture content of the squash. Since the sauce will thicken considerably while baking, it should be looser than you want the final mac and cheese to be. If it already looks thick before going into the oven, keep adding pasta water.

6. Fold into the macaroni Pour the Red Kuri cheese sauce directly over the macaroni in the baking dish. Gently fold everything together right in the pan until the macaroni is completely and generously coated.
   

7. Add the topping Sprinkle the surface with additional paprika, black pepper and a small amount of salt. Cover with a generous, even layer of shredded marble cheddar, then sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese.
   

8. Cover and bake Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until everything is piping hot, the cheddar topping has melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
   

For a more toasted breadcrumb topping, remove the foil for the final 5 minutes.

9. Garnish Remove from the oven and finish with Parmesan and sage just before serving. The Parmesan adds a salty, nutty finish while the sage complements the sweet, earthy flavour of the Red Kuri.
   

Flavour Variations

🧀 Extra Cheesy: Increase the sharp cheddar in the sauce to 2 ½ cups for an even stronger cheese flavour.

🌿 Sage & Parmesan: Add ½ tsp rubbed sage or 1-2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage. Sage complements the sweet, nutty flavour of Red Kuri particularly well.

🥓 Bacon: Cook and crumble 6 strips of bacon and fold them into the mac and cheese before baking. Reserve a little for the top.

🔥 Smoky: Use ½ tsp smoked paprika in the sauce and sprinkle additional smoked paprika over the top before baking.

🥛 Extra Creamy: Replace ½ cup of the milk with heavy cream and add 1 additional tablespoon butter.

🍞 Extra Crispy: Remove the aluminum foil for the final 5-10 minutes of baking to allow the breadcrumb and cheddar topping to become crisp and golden.