Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni (penne, or elbows)
- 1 lb acorn squash
- 4 c lowfat milk
- 6 T flour
- 5 T unsalted butter
- 1 t smoked paprika
- kosher salt, sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 8 oz aged white cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the acorn squash into 2 halves. Remove the seeds and membrane. Divide 1 tablespoon of the butter and set inside each cavity. Rub the cavities with a spot of sea salt and place into the oven to roast for about 45 minutes or until tender.Remove the squash from the oven. Set aside to cool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain. Rinse. Set aside.
Chop the squash into bite size pieces being careful to avoid any skin. Bring the milk to just a boil in a heavy saucepan. Set aside.
Melt the butter mixture to the milk and whisk well to get rid of lumps. Add 1/2 t of paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Return to heat. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it’s smooth and it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add milk mixture to the pasta and coat. Mix in squash pieces as well. Pour into a 9 x 12 baking dish. Spread the grated cheese over the top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the top with the remaining paprika.
Bake for 25 minutes. Then, place the dish under the broiler (about 4 inches away from heat) and cook for another 3-4 minutes until slightly golden.