This version of mac & cheese is bursting with veggies making it a healthy entree or side for any day of the week. 
Disclosure: I am a member of the Cabot Cheese Board and I have received free Cabot product as mentioned in this post. I was not expected to write a post and I was not compensated for my time. Opinions are my own.
Have you ever wondered what’s on page 54 in your favorite cookbook? Well, neither have I, until the Recipe Redux challenged us with this party game. Yes, I did say party, because we’re celebrating the fifty-forth month anniversary of the Recipe Redux! Whoot! Whoot! Our challenge is to recreate a recipe on page 54 or 154 from our nearest cookbook. So I cracked open an old favorite, gifted to me by my son for Christmas when he was in middle school…
(I have always loved this book, especially the wine pairings suggested for each recipe.) Here’s what I found on page 54: 
This recipe is actually a divine rendition of macaroni and cheese. Fonduta is made with fontina cheese, milk , egg yolks and butter. Hmm, sounds like a perfect candidate for a redux!
My lighter version begins with a sauce made with chicken broth, skim milk, butterkin squash (you can use butternut squash , butterkin is a variety of this squash) , and Cabot’s White Oak Cheddar. I combined this sauce with pasta and zucchini, just as in the original recipe, and why I named it zacaroni & cheese. It gets a finishing touch with with parsely and panko seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Here is the finished product just as it came out of the oven…
In keeping with my favorite part of Food & Wine Magazine’s Quick from Scratch Italian Cookbook, I am going to suggest one of two spirits for enjoying with my zacaroni & cheese, both Cabot’s wine pick for pairing with White Oak Cheddar: Moscato or Syrah. Enjoy!
Zacaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese made healthier with the addition of zucchini, and butternut squash.
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups butterkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 1 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups Cabot white oak cheedar, shredded
- 1 /2 pound uncooked elbow macarroni
- 1 pound zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
- cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1.preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine squash , broth, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium -high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree squash mixture or add hot squash mixute to a blender, securing blender lid on blender and removing center piece of lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening to avoid splatters. Blend until smooth. Place blended squash in a bowl ; stir in White Oak Cheddar.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well . Add pasta and zucchini to cheese mixture. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat. Sprinkle over hot pasta. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.
5. Bake for 25 min at 375 degrees or until bubbly. Spinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
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So comforting! Love the Zacaroni…actually my kids will love the name even more!
Beautiful and amazingly yummy looking! And thanks for the wine pairing tip 🙂
What a great recipe, Diane! It looks so creamy and love all the veggies in this!
I am a mac and cheese lover for life and love adding butternut squash to reduce the cheese and add creaminess to the sauce! Love the addition of nutmeg and cinnamon too! Oh, and aren’t the Food & Wine cookbooks the best?! 😉
You really have packed a lot of veggies into this dish. Love the name.
I’ve been craving comfort food like crazy lately! Thanks for sharing this healthier option – I adore mac and cheese and this looks SO good!
Im drooling at this version…and such a wonderful way to get in your veggies with cheese! yum yum yum
Sounds delicious and I love all the veggies! Definitely need to add this cookbook to my collection 🙂
Macaroni and cheese is my favorite thing to make and eat 🙂 Love all the veggies in this!!
Loving this combination of ingredients …looks divine!
Looks great, Diane! I like to add cauliflower, broccoli or greens to my mac and cheese to help me pretend it’s healthier. Love how you lighten this one up and even add less pasta. Looks delicious!
“Zacaroni”…I love it! And this looks soooo good! My daughter loves Mac & Cheese so this looks like a great way to get so more veggies in her 🙂 Happy holidays Diane!
Diane, your lightened version of Fonduta sounds amazing – and I’m not a huge fan of macaroni and cheese – but I could easily devour a plate or two of zacaroni and cheese! 🙂
Merry Christmas!