
Mac and cheese is a crowd-pleasing American dish with a deliciously cheesy sauce. Roasting butternut squash and adding pesto elevates it from a regular mac and cheese to one that's perfectly seasonal for the colder months.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
300 grams
Diced Butternut Squash
180 grams
Macaroni
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Wheat May contain traces of: Soya)
90 grams
Mature Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk May contain traces of: Milk)
1 unit(s)
Medium Tomato
12 milliliter(s)
Balsamic Glaze
(Contains: Sulphites)
2 unit(s)
Garlic Clove
150 grams
Creme Fraiche
(Contains: Milk)
10 grams
Vegetable Stock Paste
32 grams
Pesto
(Contains: Milk)
40 grams
Wild Rocket
1 sachet(s)
Crispy Onions
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Wheat)
1 tbsp
Olive Oil for the Dressing
20 grams
Butter
1.5 tbsp
Plain Flour
225 milliliter(s)
Water for the Sauce

Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
Pop the butternut squash onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer.
When the oven is hot, roast on the top shelf until soft and golden, 20-30 mins. Turn halfway through.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with ½ tsp salt.
When boiling, stir the macaroni into the water and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender, 12 mins.
Once cooked, drain in a colander and pop back into the pan. Drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.
While the macaroni boils, peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Grate the cheese.

Cut the tomato into 2cm chunks.
In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic glaze and olive oil for the dressing (see pantry for amount). Stir in the tomato, season with salt and pepper, then set aside for now.
When the butternut has roasted, if you have a blender, blend half the butternut and the creme fraiche together until smooth, 1-2 mins. Season with salt and pepper.
If you don't have a blender, add the same ingredients to a large bowl and mash with a fork until combined.

Melt the butter (see pantry for amount) in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the garlic and fry until fragrant, 1 min.
Next, stir in the flour (see pantry for amount) and cook until it forms a paste, 1-2 mins - you've made a roux!
Stir in the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount) a little at a time, followed by the vegetable stock paste and blended butternut and creme fraiche mixture.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring until thickened, 2-3 mins.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir through the Cheddar and cooked macaroni until the cheese has melted.
Add a splash of water if it's a little too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Add the rocket to the bowl of balsamic dressed tomato and toss together.

Share the butternut mac and cheese between your bowls. Drizzle over the pesto.
Scatter over the remaining butternut squash and crispy onions.
Serve the rocket and tomato salad on the side.