This Butternut Squash Ziti is a twist on the traditional baked ziti dish. Nix all the tomatoes. Add in tons of butternut squash. Cover it in cheese and dig in!
3cupsroasted butternut squash, about 1 med. squash
1lbziti pasta
1cupHalf & Half
½teascayenne pepper
½teasground nutmeg
8oz.Gruyere cheese, grated
1tbspbutter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise and lay skin-side up on a large baking sheet. Poke a bunch of wholes in the skins with a fork and bake at 350 degrees until the squash is very tender, 45-60 minutes.
Let squash cool for a few minutes and then scoop squash into a large bowl (or food processor bowl)
Add half and half, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 of the grated cheese and process until smooth. If you don’t have a processor you can just mash well to combine everything. If the mixture looks too thick, you can add 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin it out.
Cook ziti according to packaging, drain, and combine ziti and butternut squash mixture.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish very well.Add ziti mixture to baking dish and sprinkle on rest of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and ziti is slightly brown around edges, about 25-30 minutes.Cool for a few minutes and serve it up!
Notes
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for five days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350˚F oven until warmed through and melted.