1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
½ cup + 1 ½ cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups cream
2 cups shredded Point Reyes Toma
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
¾ cup toasted breadcrumbs
1 cup crumbled Point Reyes Bay Blue
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, toss squash with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place butternut squash chunks on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool to room temperature.
While the butternut squash is roasting, cook macaroni al dente. Drain well and set aside.
Place cooked butternut squash and ½ cup of milk in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Whisk in the flour and nutmeg. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until flour mixture smells nutty. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of milk and 2 cups cream and stir or whisk until mixture is smooth. Turn heat to high and bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Cook until sauce has thickened, turn heat to low and whisk in butternut squash mixture. Stir in Toma and sage, stirring until cheese has melted. Add the cooked macaroni to the pan and stir until the macaroni noodles are well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Butter a 4 quart baking dish. Pour macaroni mixture into dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until macaroni and cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven, sprinkle with Bay Blue and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
