 Autumn Comfort Mac uses butternut squash, pancetta, cavatappi and a variety of cheeses. Serve it in ramekins as a first course, or large plates as a main dish.
June 2008
Updated March 2009
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Gourmet Macaroni And Cheese Recipes
Award-Winning Mac & Cheese So Good, You’ll Want To Throw A Party To Make Each Recipe
Each year, we publish an incredible collection of award-winning macaroni and cheese recipes from Tillamook’s annual competition. We’re thrilled to present the 2007 winners. If you have a recipe that’s a national contender, check with Tillamook Cheese for the next date and competition rules.
Each award-winning recipe is on a separate page. Use the index to click among them. When you’re done with these, check out the 2006 winners and the 2008 winners. And enjoy!
WHEN YOU THINK “MAC & CHEESE,” THINK BEYOND ELBOW MACARONI.
In fact, most award-winning recipes use other shapes.
See the different pasta shapes in our
PASTA GLOSSARY.
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Autumn Comfort Mac Recipe
This recipe was created by Veronica Vadakan, the Portland Regional 2007 Winner and and First Runner Up in the 2008 Grand Finale.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (approximately 2 pounds), peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 12 ounces cavatappi* pasta
*Cavatappi are short (1-inch) tubular corkscrew or spiral-shaped pasta, native to southern Italy.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Tuscan blend shredded cheese mix
- 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh-chopped sage
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted sweet cream butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 1/2 cup Tuscan blend shredded cheese mix
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, toss butternut squash pieces with olive oil. Spread squash pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Remove when squash is tender and caramel brown. Set aside and reduce oven heat to 350°F.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add cavatappi and cook approximately 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well.
- On the stovetop, cook the pancetta over medium heat in a skillet for 6 minutes. Add shallots and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- In a 2-quart sauce pan, melt butter. Add flour and, stirring constantly, cook approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add milk and cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Stir in 2 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 tablespoons of chopped sage. Add 1 teaspoon black pepper, or add to taste.
- Mix cooked cavatappi, cheese sauce and pancetta together in a large bowl. Gently fold in roasted butternut squash and crumbled goat cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking pan.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave in a large glass bowl. Stir in sage, cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture in the pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
- Turn on broiler and move pan to the top rack of the oven. Brown for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and wait 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with minced fresh sage, if desired.
NEXT RECIPE: Jumbo Shell Pasta Stuffed With White Cheddar & Chicken
Macaroni
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