You'll want to make this dish again and again. It is really simple, quick to make and can also be made in a lactose-free version! Thanks to the pumpkin puree, the sauce has the creamiest consistency!
It is common today to add pumpkin puree to cakes or muffins, which are amazingly soft, or to your morning breakfast porridge. By the way, have you tried my baked version yet?
Pumpkin sauces are also slowly coming to the fore. And no wonder! If you have pumpkin puree ready, you are just a few steps away from healthy and delicious pumpkin sauce.
You might think that these are just plain Mac and cheese, but let me tell you a few reasons why you'll want to make this Pumpkin version ASAP!
- IT'S FULL OF VEGETABLES - pumpkin sauce is a great way to sneak a little more vegetables into your diet (and not just for kids) - you can't really tell that it's pumpkin in the sauce because it looks like cheese, so you won't feel like you're actually eating vegetables
- INCREDIBLE TASTE - thanks to the sage, which is first fired in butter, the sauce smells amazing and the leeks and garlic add spiciness
- REALLY QUICK TO MAKE - you can have this meal on the table within 15 minutes, even with cleaning up the dishes!
- SO VERSATILE - this pumpkin Mac and cheese create filling lunch, but you can also serve it as a side dish to variously prepared meats. We love them topped with meatballs or or homemade sausage!!
I absolutely fell in love with this pumpkin sauce , especially at the end of autumn, when there aren't many fresh herbs left in the garden. So it's time to finally use sage! Sage is not one of my most used herbs. During the summer, I like to dry it for tea or make various mixtures from it, but would I just take a few leaves and cook something with it? No, I just can't think of that. I won't start to remember it again until fall... and there are so many ways to use it in the kitchen!
How to make a lactose-free version of pumpkin Mac and cheese?
I have to say that I like this pumpkin sauce really creamy. There is something very comforting about the creamy texture of the sauce with the macaroni! However, if you have a bit of a problem with lactose, you don't have to give up this divine creamy texture right away! Today, there are plenty of alternatives that are just as delicious!
I personally prefer natural alternatives to cream depending on the recipe I use it for. I also like to reach for soy cream or coconut milk at the store. But I find that what works best for thickening and softening the sauce is this homemade cashew cream.
If you haven't heard of this alternative, it's basically cashews mixed with water to create a wonderfully creamy bevarage. You can then use this cashew cream in sauces or soups in the same ratio as whipping cream with very similar results!
How to make pumpkin Mac and cheese?
First, we make the sauce.Saute finely chopped sage with leek and crushed garlic in butter. Fry for just a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the leeks are slightly translucent.
Meanwhile, heat the pumpkin puree and cream in a saucepan. Then add all the sauteed leeks and sage to the hot mixture and blend with an immersion blender. This will create a thick sauce. The color of the sauce may vary depending on the variety of pumpkin used. For the most orange sauce, use Hokkaido pumpkin puree!
When the sauce is ready, we cook macaroni or another shape of pasta that we like. This sauce goes well with both short and long pasta! After cooking, keep aside a cup of water from cooking the pasta.
I also learned a trick to improve the texture even more ! Just keep some of the white part of the leek and chop it very finely together with the parsley. Then garnish the food with the resulting mixture. Raw leeks have a mildly pungent taste that complements the creamy sauce perfectly!
How to store pumpkin Mac and cheese?
This pumpkin Mac and cheese can be stored mixed with the sauce or separated in a container with a sealing lid. It will last approximately 5 days in the fridge.
This pasta with pumpkin sauce is great even reheated, so I recommend this dish as part of meal prep. To heat it up, just add a little water to the pasta and heat it under the lid on the stove. The sauce will thus remain beautifully creamy.
TIPS:
– to the sauce you can also add other spices, sweet paprika and ground mustard seeds are often used in Mac and cheese
this pasta dish can also be garnished with unsalted sunflower seeds, which will add that "something crunchy"
– if you don't have leeks on hand, you can use chopped medium onions or spring onions instead
Recipe
Recipe 4-6 servings
Pumpkin Mac and cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (250-300 g) pumpkin puree
- 1 cup (200 ml) whipping cream or lactose-free alternative
- 10 cm leek, only white part
- approx. 5 large sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 500 g of pasta (macaroni, collard greens, tagliatelle)
- leek and parsley to garnish
Instructions:
- First we prepare the sauce. Saute finely chopped sage with leek and crushed garlic in butter. Fry for just a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the leeks are slightly translucent.
- Meanwhile, heat the pumpkin puree and cream in a saucepan.
- Then add roasted leeks and sage to the hot mixture and blend with an immersion blender.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and then set aside a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce. Add part of the pasta cooking water and mix until the desired consistency is reached. If necessary, add more water from cooking the pasta.
- Garnish the pasta with the sauce with finely chopped leek and parsley.
You may also like:
- All Post
- Back
- Breakfast
- Soups
- Breads
- Dessert
- Main dishes
- Others
- Sides
