Lighter Mac & Cheese

Tony loves mac & cheese and it is a meal I absolutely refuse to make because of the fat content. In this months Cooking Light magazine they had a lighter version of mac & cheese on the cover. I figured I would give it a try. What is very interesting about this recipe is it calls for butternut squash in place of butter.

I did make a few modifications to this recipe. When Tony and I were in NYC we ate at this expensive French restaurant. Tony got a gourmet mac & cheese with bacon in it. So we decided to add a pound of organic bacon. We cooked it in the microwave until about medium crispiness, chopped it up in to bit size pieces, and placed it over the cooked pasta before adding the sauce on top. I served this meal with roasted broccoli and chicken marinated with a basil & herb oil mixture.

Lighter Mac and Cheese

Amount per serving (before my changes)

Calories: 390

Fat: 10.9g

Saturated fat: 6.1g

Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g

Protein: 19.1g

Carbohydrate: 53.9g

Fiber: 3.2g

Cholesterol: 31mg
Iron: 2.4mg

Sodium: 589mg

Calcium: 403mg

Ingredients

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (I used 3/4 cups

1 pound uncooked cavatappi (the curly noodles)

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (I ground up croutons)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. (I skipped this step since I used croutons) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray. - I did not mix the cheese and bread crumbs before spreading on top of the mac & cheese. I spread the bread crumbs on top of the mac & cheese mixture and then topped with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 2 tablespoons was just not enough of a topping for me so I used about another 1/2 cup.

6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.