Medium
4 per.
Joe Bastianich
This is a luxurious dish for the calorie count, which is close to 500 because it includes a roux (with flour and fat) and mozzarella, says Manuali. The white sauce is a lower-calorie and lower-fat version of the classic besciamella. The combination of mushrooms and butternut squash is well suited for fall, but you can substitute other roasted vegetables according to the season.
Ingredients
500 g (1 lb) mixed mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle or porcini), thickly sliced (about 1.5 l/6 cups)
15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-cm (1/2-inch) cubes (about 750 ml/3 cups)
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh thyme leaves
30 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
45 ml (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
500 ml (2 cups) 1 per cent low-fat milk
250 ml (1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
1 fresh bay leaf
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
500 g (1 lb) rigatoni
250 ml (1 cup) shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella
50 ml (1/4 cup) freshly grated Grana Padano
Preparation
Preheat oven to 230 C (450 F) with two sheet pans on the top and bottom racks.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.
In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with 7 ml (1/2 tbsp) of the olive oil and season with salt. Spread on one of the preheated pans. Repeat with squash and remaining olive oil and season with salt and thyme.
