Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
on Sep 20, 2019, Updated Oct 13, 2024
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Pretty, satisfying, cold weather comfort food
While I cook with butternut squash all the time, when I think about cooking with pumpkin I picture a can of puree. But not this year, this year I am grabbing the pumpkin by the stem and here’s the first pumpkin moment of, I hope, many.
This is a decadent cold weather (vegetarian) dish, filled with comfort and decadence. My kids did not think they were going to like it, and did not hesitate to share their reservations with me. I assured them they would.
Full disclosure, they liked the pasta with its lovely sauce, but left almost all of the little nuggets of beautiful pumpkin on the side of their plates, which I promptly ate. My mother however, ate her whole plate.
Use small or medium pasta shells for this recipe, not the jumbo ones that are mostly meant for stuffing. Or use any chunky pasta shape you like.
The Creamiest Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Ever: Nuggets of fresh pumpkin are nestled in a super creamy, super cheesy sauce for the ultimate fall comfort food.
How Do You Peel a Pumpkin?
To peel them, cut off the top and bottom ends of the pumpkin, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin – it will probably take a couple of times around the pumpkin to get to the bright orange flesh beneath the thick skin. For tougher skin, make a few more passes with the peeler. Cut in half and remove the seeds.
You can make roasted pumpkin seeds for snacking or for use in other recipes, and the the pumpkin itself can be cut and cooked in many ways.
Other Cheesy Pasta Dishes My Kids Love:
- Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Creamy Four-Cheese Penne Rigate
- Creamy Goat Cheese and Spinach Linguine
- Macaroni and Cheese
- One Skillet Chicken with Cheesy Orzo and Baby Kale
Beyond Pumpkin: Butternut Squash Recipes:
(Some of which my kids like, some of which they don’t, all of which I love and so do my friends.)
- Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup
- Moroccan Lamb and Butternut Squash Stew
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel Soup
- Spiralized Cheesy Butternut Squash and Carrot Casserole with Chicken
- Butternut Squash and White Bean Ragout
- Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Chicken Enchilada Cups
- Roasted Butternut Squash
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Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 medium sugar pumpkin about 4 pounds, peeled (see recipe intro), seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 onions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound dried pasta shells small or medium
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups crumbled goat cheese (or try 1 1/2 cups cubed brie or camembert with the rind cut off!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet with sides, place the pumpkin, onion, and sage, then drizzle over the olive oil and toss everything on the baking sheet, then spread everything out into a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 35 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and everything is lightly browned.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve a cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta.
- Place the cooking water and the cream back in the pasta cooking pot and heat over medium high heat just until little bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Whisk in the Parmesan and the goat cheese until the cheeses are melted. Season with salt and pepper. Return the pasta to the pan and stir until coated with the sauce. Add the cooked pumpkin and onions to the pan and toss to combine. Serve hot.
This sounds so delicious! Lucky you getting to eat the extra pumpkin left by the kids! :-D
agreed!
Makes me dreaming it’s time for diner!
Thanks for clarifying!
I’m confused. You refer to butternut squash, yet go the pumpkin route. The ingredient list calls for pumpkin, yet No. 3 in the directions says, “Add the cooked squash…” Is the recipe for pumpkin or butternut squash? I’m not trying to quibble, but it’s a big deal for me as I love butternut squash, but detest pumpkin. Thanks! LOVE the book, by the way.
Sorry it is pumpkin! Squash was sort of a reference to refer to pumpkin, which is a member of the squash/gourd family. But you totally can substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin, and you should! Thanks for writing, and I made the correction.