Fontina Mac With Squash And Sage Recipes

FONTINA MAC WITH SQUASH AND SAGE

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.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH FONTINA CHEESE CROSTINI

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.

MACARONI AND FONTINA CHEESE

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.