There is no debating the inherent comfort of mac and cheese: warm, creamy, cheesy goodness clinging to tender pasta - does it get any better?! This pumpkin mac and cheese is a seasonal twist on an old classic and is loaded with pumpkin and spinach.
Ingredients
1lbmacaroni, gluten-free, if needed
3cupsbaby spinach
½lbthick-cut bacon, sliced into ½ inch pieces
2teaspoonsbutter
¼cuppanko, gluten-free, if needed
10sage leaves
1cuppasta cooking water
Cheese Sauce
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour, gluten-free, if needed
2cupswhole milk
1cuppureed pumpkin, see notes
1teaspoonEACH: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
1cupEACH: grated sharp cheddar and grated mozzarella, avoid using pre-grated cheeses
½cupgrated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Put a large pot of salted water on high heat. When it comes to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water from the pot and then drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta back into the pot. If you're using spinach, add it to the pot.
1 lb macaroni, 3 cups baby spinach
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the panko and let it toast for 2-3 minutes.
2 teaspoons butter, ¼ cup panko
In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Then use a slotted spoon to put the bacon into the pot with the pasta. (You can reserve a few pieces for garnish if you'd like.)
½ lb thick-cut bacon
Add the sage leaves to the pan and cook them for 1 minute, until they are crispy. Remove them from the pan.
10 sage leaves
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil from the pan. (If there is less than 2 tablespoons, add some butter.) Whisk the flour into the oil and let it cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until it thickens, about 3 minutes.
Whisk the pumpkin puree, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into the sauce and let it heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
1 cup pureed pumpkin, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, 1 cup EACH: grated sharp cheddar and grated mozzarella, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir well. Add as much pasta water as you need to loosen the pasta - we normally add about a cup.
1 cup pasta cooking water
Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the panko and crispy sage leaves and serve right away.
Notes
Make sure that you buy a can of 100% pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling. We tested this recipe using the whole 15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin. It was good, but the pumpkin flavor was a lot more prominent. If you're looking for more pumpkin flavor, go ahead and add the whole can. If you want a subtle pumpkin flavor, use 1 cup.