Delicata Squash Bechamel and Eggplant Pasta Bake

Community Supported Agriculture - Delicata squash meet baby eggplants!

Our first year of having a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture share) has been a great adventure. We've never been veggie shy, and we thought we had tried everything, but, we've met a few new varieties of veggies this summer. Two of those varieties are Delicata Squash and baby eggplant pictured below. We put these two veggies together into one mild yet tasty dish - Delicata Squash Bechamel and Eggplant Pasta Bake. 

This recipe is a morphing and altering of two of our favorite family recipes. 

Delicata Squash Bechamel and Eggplant Pasta Bake

1/4 c. butter + 3 T. butter, divided

4 eggs, beaten

1 lb. small shell pasta

2 c. Italian blend grated cheese, divided

 1 lb. ground, mild pork

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

12 – 15 baby eggplant, diced

3 T. flour

3 c. milk

2 c. delicata squash puree (must be prepared in advance – see my prior post about Cooking with Delicata Squash)

A small dash fresh ground nutmeg

Cook macaroni; drain. In a large bowl combine macaroni, ¼ c. butter, ½ c. grated Italian cheese blend, and eggs. Combine. Spray cooking spray on the bottom of a 9X13 glass pan. Layer the macaroni mixture in the bottom of the pan.

While the water is boiling for the pasta and the pasta is cooking - Sauté ground pork, onion, and garlic in large skillet.  Once the pork is cooked and no longer pink -  but not browned, push the pork to the edges of the skillet. (Don’t overcook the pork, you want soft and mild flavors for this dish.) Add the diced baby eggplant to the center of the skillet, and cook just until it starts to turn soft. Layer the pork and eggplant mixture on top of the macaroni mixture.

Prepare the Delicata Squash Bechamel - melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the 3 tablespoons of flour and cook the mixture for 1 minute whisking while cooking. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture whisking the entire time; whisk until smooth. Bring the mixture to a bubble; add the cooked Delicata Squash and the nutmeg. It’s important to not use too much nutmeg – you don’t want to overpower the delicate flavor of the squash. Whisk until smooth. The béchamel will turn a beautiful golden color! Season the sauce with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Pour the Delicata Squash Bechamel over the pork and eggplant mixture. Top with the remaining grated Italian cheese blend. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.