One-Pot Stovetop Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

This fall, I was completely inundated with butternut squash in my CSA share. Initially, I made our family favorite butternut squash recipes including Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto and Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta– yum. I also have several new ones to share!

The recipe for this one-pot comfort food dish was adapted from Food52.com, contributed by Jesse Szewczyk. The sauce was super creamy and subtly sweet from the squash.

Decadent and delicious- an upgrade to the classic.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 4 T unsalted butter
• 4 cups (about 1 pound) peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 T finely chopped fresh sage leaves (from about 12 leaves)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups warm water, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 cups (1 12-ounce can) full-fat evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 pound dried pasta, such as medium-sized shells or elbow macaroni (I used rigatoni)
• 12 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar, grated (about 3 cups)
• 2 ounces Parmesan, grated (about 2/3 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• toasted breadcrumbs, for topping prior to serving, optional

1. Peel, seed, and cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the squash and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender enough to smash with a spatula without much resistance and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Add the rosemary, sage, and garlic and cook, stirring often, just until the garlic is aromatic and no longer raw, about 1 minute.
5. Increase the heat to high and add the warm water, evaporated milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. (The pasta won’t be completely covered by the liquid.)
6. Boil over medium (even reducing to medium-low if necessary) heat, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and about two-thirds of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 14 minutes (al dente). If at any point the liquid evaporates before the pasta is tender, add additional warm water (1/2 cup at a time- did once after 12 min) and continue cooking.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and add both cheeses. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and has emulsified into a creamy sauce.
8. Let the pasta sit for 10 minutes. (This is necessary to allow the sauce to thicken.) If the sauce becomes too thick, adjust the consistency by adding additional warm water 1/4 cup at a time.
9. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve immediately with more black pepper and parmesan, if desired.
10. Top with toasted breadcrumbs, if desired.

Stovetop Meatball Lasagna

This is a crowd-pleasing, lighter, stovetop upgrade to a classic lasagna. It was also less time consuming to prepare. I loved the brightness from the incorporation of fresh herbs.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Shilpa Uskokovic. I modified the method and added garlic. The grated zucchini and panko in the meatballs made them very tender. Fabulous!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (5 in my house)

• 1 large zucchini (about 12 oz), finely grated (about 1½ cups)(I used a food processor)
• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal or 1 1/4 tsp Morton kosher salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh whole milk ricotta
• finely grated lemon zest from 1/2 a large lemon
• 10 oz lasagna noodles, broken into 2–3 pieces (do not use oven-ready noodles)(I used DeCecco)
• grated Parmesan, for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Using a sturdy wooden spoon or rubber spatula, vigorously stir grated zucchini, panko, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and kosher salt in a large bowl until combined and nearly paste-like. (I grated the zucchini medium-large because I used a food processor.)
2. Add ground chicken, chopped dill and parsley and mix until fully incorporated (you don’t need to worry about overmixing here; mixture will be soft). (I used a food processor to finely chop the fresh herbs.)
3. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium to medium-high. (I used a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
4. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out half of meat mixture (meatballs don’t need to be perfectly round; rustic-looking is good) and add directly to pot. (I did 2 batches of 8 meatballs.)
5. Cook, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Carefully turn meatballs over and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes (it’s okay if meatballs still look misshapen).
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate.
8. Pour an additional 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil into pot and repeat process with remaining meat mixture. (the remaining 8 meatballs)
9. Return all meatballs to pot, the add canned tomatoes with juice, lightly crushing with your hands as you go, sliced garlic and shallot, and remaining 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; season with salt.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook meatballs and sauce, gently stirring occasionally (it’s okay if meatballs start to fall apart), until sauce is slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes. (After stirring halfway through the cooking time, I reduced the heat to low.)
11. Meanwhile, whisk together ricotta, grated lemon zest, and a large pinch of salt in small bowl until smooth; set aside.
12. Cook broken lasagna noodles in large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente, about 3 minutes.
13. Using tongs, drop noodles into pot with sauce and cook, stirring gently, until sauce coats pasta.
14. Divide pasta among shallow bowls and spoon dollops of reserved lemony ricotta over each.
15. Top with dill and grated Parmesan, as desired. 

Do ahead: Meatballs and sauce can be made 3 days ahead; let cool. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Lemony ricotta can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

This one-pan, stovetop recipe turns cheesy stuffed pasta into a weeknight dinner. It was a perfect crowd-pleasing dish to serve on a chilly evening. Jarred marinara is used as a shortcut- enhanced with buttery sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes. Great.

This recipe was adapted from epicurious.com, contributed by Anna Stockwell. I modified the proportions and method, and used dried oregano. I recommend eating it with crusty bread or garlic bread to mop up the sauce.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 20 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 to 6.5 oz)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 to 10 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 6 to 9 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 24 to 28 oz jarred marinara sauce (I used 28 oz Rao’s Marinara)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups (15 to 16 oz) whole-milk ricotta
• 3 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 2 T finely chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
• fresh parsley or oregano, chopped, for garnish, optional
• crusty bread or garlic bread for serving, optional

1. Cook shells in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 9 minutes; drain. Run under cold water to stop the cooking; drain again. (I cooked 22 shells just to be safe but only used 20.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high. (I used a large, wide enameled cast iron pan.)
3. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release juices, then are dry again and nicely browned, 5–10 minutes; season with black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add wine, and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Add spinach, stir, cover, and cook until beginning to wilt, 1–2 minutes.
6. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely wilted and most of the liquid is evaporated, 2–4 minutes more. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl; reserve skillet.
7. Add ricotta, Parmesan, 2 T fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt to mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, to taste.
8. Spoon about 2 T ricotta mixture into each shell. The shell should be filled to capacity but not overstuffed. (I used a cookie scoop to ration the filling.)
9. Cook garlic and butter in reserved skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, 2–3 minutes.
10. Add marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, 6–8 minutes.
11. Nestle stuffed shells into hot sauce in skillet.
12. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until shells are warmed through, 5–6 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
14. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley or oregano. Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread, as desired.

Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna

This easy and creamy vegetarian stovetop lasagna was very well received by my family. 😉 The original recipe said that it wasn’t as pretty as a typical baked and layered lasagna, but I thought that it looked pretty appealing.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Sarah Jampel. I increased the amount of mushrooms and garlic. I also used no-boil lasagna noodles. It is a perfect weeknight dish.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 5 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 12 to 16 oz mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, shiitake, and/or crimini), trimmed, cut or torn into 1″ pieces (I used stemmed & quartered cremini mushrooms)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T thyme leaves
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 to 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cups whole milk
• freshly ground black pepper
• lemon zest, plus wedges for serving, optional
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche or thinned sour cream
• 8 to 9 oz regular lasagna noodles, broken in half (no-boil okay)
• 4 to 5 oz mozzarella, thinly sliced
• finely grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large high-sided ovenproof skillet (preferably with a lid) or small Dutch oven over medium-high. (I used a large, wide enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; mix in thyme.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot and garlic cloves in the bowl of a mini food processor.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 1 minute.
5. Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
6. Add milk, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 3/4 cups water, then finely grate zest of 1/4 lemon into pan. Stir to dissolve flour, increase heat to medium, and cook until gently bubbling.
7. Reduce heat to low, whisk in crème fraîche (or sour cream), and stir to combine.
8. Add about one third of noodles, pushing down into sauce to submerge, followed by a third of the mushrooms.
9. Repeat with half of remaining noodles and mushrooms.
10. Top with another layer of noodles. **Set remaining mushrooms aside.**
11. Cover with a lid or foil and cook 15 minutes. (If lasagna threatens to boil over, use very lowest heat and/or prop open the cover.)
12. Uncover; cook, gently lifting and separating noodles occasionally with tongs or a spatula to let sauce flow around, until sauce is thickened and noodles are cooked through, 6–10 minutes. Mixture should be bubbling gently; adjust heat as necessary. Remove from heat.
13. Heat broiler. Top lasagna with mozzarella and reserved mushrooms.
14. Broil until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, about 2 minutes.
15. Finely grate more lemon zest over. Sprinkle with Parmesan; season with pepper.
16. Let sit 5–10 minutes. Cut lemon into wedges, if desired, and serve with lasagna.