At 300 calories for just one cup of food, this is more of a treat than a regular. But it’s rich. it’s creamy and it allowed me to reference Friends. So..there’s that. Also, I got to try my hand at separating eggs – which I literally did with my hands. I’m classy like that.

Ingredients

4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/3 pounds)
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
8 ounces uncooked cavatappi
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 24 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
3. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; keep warm.
4. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/2 cup milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, and yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.
5. Combine squash, pasta, and milk mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

*From the Thanksgiving 1992 episode of Friends. Enjoy the entire clip below, Squatternut Bosh reference at 2:20-ish