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Three Cheese Butternut Squash Cavatappi

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time25 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr 10 mins

Spice up your mac and cheese with a hearty squash mixed with twisty cavatappi. Plus, this recipe uses three unique cheeses, grana padano, asiago and fontina, to really heighten the flavor and make you crave for more.

Three Cheese Butternut Squash Cavatappi

 1 lb Colavita Cavatappi
 1 ½ cups fontina cheese, grated
 ½ cup grana padano (or parmesan), grated
 1 cup asiago cheese, grated
 1 large butternut squash, roasted & puréed
 3 cups Rachael Ray Low Sodium All-Natural Chicken Stock
 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
 each of ground pepper, nutmeg & sea salt
 Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 fresh parsley
1

Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel and cube the squash. Place the cubed squash on a baking sheet, drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of Colavita Olive Oil and roast it in oven until soft — about 25 minutes.

2

Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool. In a food process or blender, purée the roasted squash with 1 cup of Rachael Ray Low Sodium Chicken Stock.

3

In small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the blended squash with two more cups of chicken stock. Add the salt, nutmeg, and ground pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low.

4

Add the fontina cheese to the saucepan and stir so that the cheese melts into the squash.

5

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. Cook the cavatappi in the salted water until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain the pasta and drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of Colavita Olive Oil.

6

Return the cooked cavatappi to the now empty pot and add in the squash mixture along with the grated Asiago cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Gran Padano cheese.

7

Lightly grease a 9x12” baking dish with Colavita Olive Oil. Pour in the pasta mixture.

8

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of Colavita Olive Oil and the remaining gran padano cheese. Mix with your hands to combine.

9

Pour the topping over the mac and cheese and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and increase the heat to 425°F. Bake another 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

10

Serve immediately, with more fresh parsley and grated Gran Padano for garnish.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4