Recipe: Butternut squash macaroni cheese with sage

This recipe is a great way to use butternut squash. It includes the classic combination of butternut squash and sage to give it a further richness.

Cook’s tip: You can make this in advance, but do not bake. Simply leave to cool, then cover and chill until needed. Reheat in a medium oven until piping hot throughout, bubbling and golden, then serve.

• Preparation time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

500g frozen Butternut Squash
200ml Semi Skimmed Milk
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp shredded sage leaves, plus a few left whole for decoration
275g macaroni
555g jar Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
75g Red Leicester or other hard cheese, grated, plus a little extra for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put the squash, milk, garlic and 1 tsp sage into a large saucepan, season, cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, boil the macaroni in salted water for 7 minutes, then drain.

2. Blend the squash mixture with a handheld stick blender. When smooth, stir in the jar of sauce, cheese and remaining shredded
sage. Bring this sauce up to a simmer, then season if required.

3. Stir the macaroni into the sauce and tip into a large ovenproof dish. Scatter with whole sage leaves and a little more cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.  

Recipe and image courtesy of Waitrose & Partners