| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus more for the casserole dish
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced (or look for diced raw butternut squash in the produce department)
- EVOO, for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pound rigatoni, penne or macaroni with ridges
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, such as Gebhardt’s, or a blend of ancho or chipotle
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cloves garlic, made into a paste
- 1 fresh chile pepper, such as Fresno or jalapeno, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp yellow Cheddar
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- One 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack or other hot-pepper melting cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter a casserole dish.
- Put the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Toss to combine. Roast until the edges are browned, 17 to 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to just shy of al dente, 7 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic and chile pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add the Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted.
- Combine the squash, chili-cheese sauce and beans, then transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the pepper jack cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 891 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 86 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg |
| Sodium | 989 mg |
Reviews
We liked it but the butternut squash, for some reason, just seemed out of place so I would leave it out next time. We also added some ground beef.
What happened to the pasta? I should have known better than to try another Rachel Ray recipe. They are always a fail.
Outrageous flavors! I went a tiny tiny bit heavy with the ground spices to kick that a bit and loved it even more!!
When do u add the pasta?
This recipe was too spicy for our tastes. One of my pet peeves in reading reviews is when people change the recipe and give their own “how to” rec’s in making the recipe the way they think it should be made before trying it as the Chef outlined. I followed this recipe to a T and this is what I did before placing it in the oven: I didn’t feel there was enough of the sauce, I did my taste test and was completely overwhelmed at how spicy it was. I then made a second batch of the sauce minus all of the spices and added it to the mix. I did not put the pepper jack cheese on top as it was already quite spicy even after mixing in the 2nd batch of sauce, so I sprinkled the top with parmesan cheese instead. The creamy texture of the sauce, with the kidney beans and sweetness of the squash really is such a nice combination BUT it was still too spicy in the end. I will definitely make this again and next time cut the spices more than half the recommended amount.
Rachel, you did it again!!! Was delicious!!!!!!!!! I accidentally picked up pre-cubed sweet potatoes, worked out just as good!!
Tried this last night, and it was fantastic! Just spicy enough, and my kids didn’t even pick out the squash! 😉
Delicious and Different