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Pumpkin Mac & Cheese Recipe Pin

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

5 from 1 vote
This Pumpkin Mac & Cheese uses a silky sage-infused pumpkin cream sauce, fontina, and smoked gouda for a deeply savory, fall-forward twist on classic macaroni and cheese. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving side dish — creamy, cozy, and easy enough for a weeknight
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 15
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter, divided
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp. salt divided, plus more for pasta water
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 lb. pasta I'd suggest macaroni, fusilli, or cavatappi, but it's your call!
  • 10-15 fresh sage leaves
  • 1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper I like to add a dash more, but again, up to you
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream you can combine the two
  • 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 10 oz. fontina cheese freshly shredded
  • 8 oz. smoked gouda cheese freshly shredded & divided

Method
 

Instructions:
  1. Assemble Your Mise en Place
  2. Measure & prepare all ingredients before cooking — this recipe moves quickly, and you don’t want your panko to burn while dicing the onion.
  3. Start a pot of salted water boiling (about 6 quarts). It can hang out until you’re ready to drop the pasta. 😉
Gently Toast the Breadcrumbs
  1. Melt 4 tablespoons (half the stick) of butter over low–medium heat.
  2. Add 1/3 of the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly (about 1 minute).
  3. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
  4. Cook until the panko is lightly golden. Remove from heat and stir in the grated parmesan. Set aside.
Add the Pasta to Your Boiling Water
  1. Cook the pasta until just al dente (about 6 minutes or according to package).
  2. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water (you won’t need all of it, but it’s good to have extra).
Craft the Sage Pumpkin Butter Sauce
  1. In the same pot you used for the pasta, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter.
  2. Once melted, add the fresh sage leaves. Fry, stirring frequently, until the butter is deeply golden and toasted.
  3. Remove the sage with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. (The butter will now be sage-infused!)
  4. Add the finely diced onion to the pot and cook in the butter until soft and translucent.
  5. Add the remaining garlic; cook until fragrant and softened (about 1 minute).
  6. Whisk in the flour, ground mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and remaining salt & pepper.
  7. Cook for about 3 minutes to remove raw flour flavor.
  8. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream, a quarter cup at a time, until smooth.
  9. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and continue cooking on medium-low until blended and thick.
Finish the Cheese Sauce
  1. Remove from heat!
  2. SLOWLY stir in the shredded fontina and half the smoked gouda about a 1/2 cup at a time until melted.
  3. Add cooked pasta into the sauce and gently stir to coat.
  4. Add reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to adjust consistency — you want it thick, creamy, and silky.
Final Assembly & Broil
  1. Preheat broiler to 500°.
  2. Transfer the coated pasta into an oven-safe casserole dish.
  3. Combine the previously toasted panko, parmesan, and the remaining smoked gouda.
  4. Top the pasta generously.
  5. Broil until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are golden brown.
  6. Watch closely — breadcrumbs burn fast and the sauce can separate if overheated.
Serve
  1. Top with your fried sage leaves.
  2. Plate and serve!
Notes
  1. Sauce will thicken as it stands — a splash of reserved pasta water fixes it instantly.
  2. Also, sauce can separate if heated too long on high heat. Reheat gently, adding saved pasta water to help the sauce come back together. (Don't broil too long when melting cheese and toasting panko!)