Every fall, without fail, someone asks me for this recipe. It’s just that good — Ina would be proud!
The best part, other than the obvious — pumpkin, cheese and pasta, oh my — is that it takes less than 20 minutes to prep and only a quick trip into the oven before you get to dive straight into it. Oh, and it looks extra cute served in little acorn squash bowls, especially for Thanksgiving. Impress your guests & thank me later ;-)
YOU’LL NEED
3 cups pasta, whatever available
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups aged cheddar, grated
½ cup Parmesan, grated
2 tbsp pumpkin purée
2 tbsp old-style mustard
½ tsp nutmeg
Breadcrumbs, optional but very worth it
Salt & pepper, to taste
Cook your pasta according to the package directions, drain and mix in a dash of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together. Set aside.
Using the same pot over medium heat, melt the butter. When it starts foaming, add the flour, whisking until a roux forms. Gradually add the milk and continue whisking until the sauce begins to gently bubble and thicken.
Add the pumpkin purée and old-style mustard, then remove from the heat. Add the nutmeg and salt & pepper to taste, and give everything a good mix.
Now comes the cheese! Add the aged cheddar and Parmesan, mixing until melted and creamy. Pour the waiting pasta into the sauce and mix well before transferring everything to a baking dish.
Top with breadcrumbs — extra points if they’re garlicky! — and pop it under the broiler until golden and bubbling...
…or just long enough to get a fork ready to dive into it!
It’s that easy: family-friendly, cozy and everything you want on a plate this time of year. And if pumpkin season has also fully taken over your kitchen, my homemade pumpkin spice syrup is another fall favourite around here.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do -
