Fontina Mac With Squash And Sage Recipes

Steps:

• In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.
• Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, shape Parmesan into 8 2-inch rounds. Bake until golden, 10 minutes; remove from sheet to cool. Cook pasta as directed on package; set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 teaspoons butter. Cook whole sage leaves until crisp, 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving butter. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until light brown, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook, 5 minutes. Add squash, garlic, reserved butter and salt. Cover; simmer until squash is very soft, 25 minutes. In a food processor, puree squash mixture. In a pot over medium-low heat, heat squash puree, Fontina, Swiss, chopped sage and cayenne; stir until cheese melts. Stir in pasta. Serve with Parmesan crisps and sage leaves.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss two-thirds of the butternut squash with the olive oil and seasoning, and roast for 20 mins until nearly tender (it will finish cooking later). Chop the remaining squash coarsely, put in a heatproof bowl with 100ml water and cover with cling film. Microwave on High for 8-10 mins until tender. Drain and mash.
• Fry the onion in a knob of butter until softened but not browned, about 5 mins. Stir in the chopped sage and cook for 1 min more, then add the remaining butter to melt. Stir in the flour and mustard powder, and cook for 1 min until it forms a paste. Gradually whisk in splashes of milk (you can add in bigger additions as you go) until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble, stirring constantly, for 3-5 mins until thickened. Take off the heat and whisk in the mashed squash, 200g of the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Season to taste.
• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well, then stir into the sauce with the roasted squash. Tip into a baking dish and scatter with the remaining cheese and sage leaves. Can be made up to a day ahead at this point - cool and keep in the fridge. If freezing, don't add the whole sage leaves.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 again. Splash the sage leaves with oil and bake for 40 mins until bubbling and golden on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Heat the olive oil in a large non stick skillet over moderate heat and stir in the onion.
• Add the garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute.
• Raise the heat slightly and add the bell peppers.
• Cook stirring for 2 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook stirring for 2 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 4 minutes.
• Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until it becomes a medium nutty brown.
• Stir in the flour, rosemary, sage and bay leaf.
• Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk and cook stirring 4-5 minutes or until the sauce is very thick.
• Strain the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• Return the pasta to the same large pot and stir in the sauce.
• Add the vegetables and 1 cup of the grated fontina cheese and blend completely.
• Place the mixture in a deep glass baking dish.
• Sprinkle with the remaining fontina cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until the pasta is brown and crusty on top.