Dinner

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese is for Dinner.

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese takes several minutes to prepare.

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese takes several minutes to cook.

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese makes 6 servings.

The ingredients for Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese are:

1 small butternut, acorn, or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into tiny chunks

olive oil
1 bunch of basil, stems removed
2 slices good brown bread, stale or dried out in the oven
1/2 a small head of broccoli (100 g / 3.5 oz), roughly chopped
4 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
~ 1 3/4 cups / 3.5 oz / 100 g grated white cheddar cheese
~ 1 3/4 cups / 3.5 oz / 100 g grated gruyere cheese
a large handful of (yellow) cherry tomatoes
3 cups / 300 g dried (whole wheat) macaroni elbows
salt and pepper to taste

Here is how you make Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese:

Preheat your oven to 400F / 200C with a rack in the middle. Put a large pot of water on to boil.Place the squash on a large baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden.In the meantime, pulse half the basil, all of the bread, the broccoli and a lug of olive oil in a food processor until you've got a fine crumb. It'll be a bit damp - that's o.k. Transfer to a small bowl and give the processor a rinse.In a separate bowl, combine the creme fraiche and grated cheeses.Place the cherry tomatoes in the food processor with the remaining basil. Pulse a couple times to break things up, then add to the creme fraiche mixture and stir well.Boil the pasta in well-salted water for a bit less time than the package suggests - you want it ever so slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving a big cup of the hot pasta water for later use. Return the hot pasta to the pan and add the cheese mixture to it. Add the squash and give it a good stir. Add pasta water to thin the sauce to the consistency of cream. It can be a bit runny as the pasta will soak it up in the oven.Transfer everything to a large baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle the green breadcrumbs evenly across the top and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until the topping is crunchy. Remove from the oven, and wait 10 minutes before serving.Serving Size: 6 as a main or 8-10 as a sideNumber of Servings: 6Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CATCH23.

The nutritional information for Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 377.5

• Total Fat: 16.8 g
• Cholesterol: 41.3 mg
• Sodium: 257.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 43.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.7 g
• Protein: 16.3 g

The dietary needs meet for Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese is Vegetarian