Roasted Squash and Carrot Macaroni and Cheese

My lack of posting is correlated to the speed at which Colin moves.  Gone are the days when he would bounce in his exersaucer while I cooked.  Gone are the days when he would sit on the floor in the kitchen and play with toys.  Now he toddles around, I'm lucky if he stays in the kitchen, which means he is taking everything out of the recycling bins.  More likely, he is practicing his new climbing skills on the stairs, so that when I say "where's Colin?," he peers his little face around the corner and smiles at me.  Too cute, but not conducive to cooking.  We manage just fine, but I admit the new recipes and photographs have gone by the wayside.

I turned on the end of the Rachael Ray show a few weeks ago to see her plating up this mac and cheese.  Baked mac and cheese is a weakness of mine, and I love butternut squash, so I thought I would give it a try.  It was good, but next time I think I would skip the carrots and go with squash only.  

Roasted Squash and Carrot Macaroni and Cheese
recipe slightly modified from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
1 1/2 pounds butternut, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 pound pasta
4 Tablespoons butter
3 round Tablespoons flour
1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dry mustard
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
3 cups cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack)   

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
On baking sheets, toss carrots and squash with olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.  Under cook pasta by a minute or two, drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Stir in flour and cook for a minute or two until lightly browned.
Add shallots/onions and garlic, sprinkle with mustard, salt and pepper.
Pour in Worcestershire and gradually whisk in the milk.
Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened.
Place half the roasted squash and carrots into a food processor with chicken stock and puree.
Whisk puree into milk sauce.
Stir 2 1/2 cups of cheese into the sauce.  
Add in the pasta and remaining vegetables.
Transfer to a casserole dish coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake casserole in the oven until lightly browned and bubbly.