Making Groceries: Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
  • 1 box elbow (or shell) pasta (you can choose whole wheat if you like)
  • 2 T butter
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 3 T flour
  • 2 c milk (whatever fat content you like)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • dash of tobasco (optional)
  • ¼- 1/2 t white pepper
  • sea salt
  • 1 package of frozen pureed butternut squash, thawed
  • ¼ t freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 oz cheese, grated (sharp cheddar or a colby jack work nicely)
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once bubbly, add about a tablespoon of salt and your pasta. Cook according to the package directions, minus one minute. Before draining save a cup of the pasta water.
  2. While water is coming to a boil, make your sauce in another rather large pot. Heat over a medium high flame. Melt butter and oil. Add flour and whisk to combine. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add milk all at once and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps. Once you have a smooth consistency add bay leaf, tabasco, white pepper and nutmeg. Stir frequently as sauce thickens.
  3. Once sauce has thickened (about 3 minutes), remove bay leaf, add cheese and stir. Add thawed squash and stir well. Season with sea salt. Taste and adjust spices to your pallet. Sometimes I add a bit of pumpkin pie spice. Turn off heat and wait for pasta.
  4. When pasta is ready, drain and add it to the sauce. Stir to coat. If the sauce needs to loosen, add a bit of the reserved pasta water. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe by Mamaguru at http://mamaguru.com/making-groceries-mac-and-cheese/