January Edition

Written By Maya Warburg

Winterized Mac & Cheese

Welcome to the January edition of Good News & Noshes! Excited to share this inaugural recipe which is loosely inspired by a dish by one of my favorite food bloggers, Dan Pelosi, who makes a DELISH Pumpkin Mac and Cheese I highly recommend.  
This dish incorporates some of my favorite flavors - artichoke, cumin, squash, pine nuts - while maintaining the traditional comfort-food goodness of a cheesy pasta dish. Enjoy the nosh, and don't forget to check out the good news article of the month at the bottom of this page for some hopeful headlines.

Ingredients (for six servings):

  • 1 small butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 2 teaspoons cumin

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

  • 1 lb. tubular pasta

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts

  • 1 cup grated parmesan, divided

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 1 15 oz. can cup pumpkin puree

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar)

  • 1 15 oz. container ricotta (equivalent to 1 and ½ cups of ricotta)

  • 1 12.3 oz. jar of marinated artichokes

Cooking instructions: 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400

  2. Cut butternut squash into 1-inch cubes

  3. Toss chopped butternut squash with cumin, olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking/cookie sheet

  4. Once oven is preheated, bake butternut squash for 20-25 minutes (or until begins to look golden-brown)

  5. In the meantime, bring salted water to a boil

  6. Cook pasta until al dente (usually ~2 minutes less than time listed on package)

  7. While pasta cooks, prep breadcrumb mixture by mixing paprika, panko, pine nuts, and 1/2 cup of parmesan in a small bowl until combined

  8. Add vegetable broth and pumpkin puree to a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, season with salt, and cook over medium heat until you start to see bubbles, slowly mixing periodically (careful that it doesn’t splash you!)

  9. Add the marinated artichoke hearts, shredded cheddar, ricotta, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan, and half of the breadcrumb mixture to the skillet and season with salt and pepper, stirring constantly until combined

  10. Gently fold the cooked pasta and butternut squash into the mixture in the large skillet

  11. Remove from heat and sprinkle remainder of breadcrumb mixture on top

  12. Bake for 10 minutes

  13. Take out of oven and enjoy while it’s hot!

January good news fix:

Minimum wages are going up across the US this year - click HERE for the full article.
“Higher minimum wage laws took effect across 21 states and 35 cities in the US on Jan. 1. It’s the largest simultaneous increase of sub-national minimum wage policy in US history, according to the National Employment Law Project.”
Maya Warburg
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February Edition