pumpkin mac + cheese with fried sage.

Pumpkin is acceptable at all times of the year, but let’s be honest - it just tastes better in the fall when the air is chilly and the leaves are starting to change hue. It’s comforting. And after today, I need some comfort. I’ve been stretching myself outside of my comfort zone at work lately, so my anxiety [and craving for something cheesy] has been high. Have you ever been in a room with leaders and suddenly your confidence just disappears? You’re not alone, friends. Both my boss and my dad always tell me that usually the things that scare us the most are the times when we grow the most. Unfortunately for me, my stomach tends to also grow the most during stressful times. And lucky for you, the perfect fall spin on mac n’ cheese is the outcome of this week’s anxiety.

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Before you write off this recipe because you can’t imagine pumpkin in mac n’ cheese - let me persuade you. The puréed pumpkin adds a creaminess and a slight sweetness that gives this savory recipe another dimension of flavor. If I hadn’t told Adam there was pumpkin in it, he admitted that he wouldn’t have known. He suggested I include this detail for the doubters. If that doesn’t sell you, the fried sage and crispy prosciutto (or bacon) will change your life…or at least how you think about mac n’ cheese toppings. Did I mention this recipe calls for a little beer too?

In the same way we need to deal with anxiety, this recipe takes patience. If you have a cast iron, use it for this one! Prep all of the ingredients before you start making any part of this dish. If you’ve never made a homemade cheese sauce, expect to be at the stove the entire time and be ready to adjust the heat on your cast iron depending on how much heat the skillet itself is holding. Why is this so important? Because nothing smells worse than burnt dairy and high heat breaks cheese sauce. If you’ve ever had a lumpy, watery queso or cottage cheese textured mac n’ cheese - you’ve had a broken sauce.

Start with frying the sage and prosciutto together, set it aside and then do the same thing with your sauteed onions. It will season the skillet and be much easier to start the cheese sauce without the solids. All cheese sauce starts with a roux, and the only thing you need to remember about a roux is that it should be equal parts flour and fat (ie: butter) in weight. On medium-high heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour one tablespoon at a time. It’s okay if it’s lumpy. You didn’t screw up. You’re going to whisk in liquid to transform those lumps into a paste by adding a splash of beer, then a savory pumpkin cream, and eventually it becomes your savory sauce. If you are trying to cut back on dairy or fat, replace the cream in the recipe below with milk.

After your herby pumpkin cream is slowly bubbling, turn off the heat completely or remove the skillet from the burner. You’ll slowly whisk the cheese into the sauce off the heat. This is the literal make or break moment for your cheese sauce. When the cheese is completely melted, it’s pasta time - the messiest part for me. Everything just smells so good at this point that I lose all sense of dexterity. I do not recommend dumping the entire colander of pasta in at once, the pasta will never get evenly coated if you do. I wasn’t kidding when I said this recipe requires some patience.

It’s not mac n’ cheese if the top isn’t crispy. This might be the most comforting part of the mac n’ cheese for me? I like to use grated parmesan, breadcrumbs, and a few tiny dots of butter. Some people don’t prefer anything. You can get the top browned and crispy in the oven either way. It took me about a decade to realize all ovens are not created equally. So, if it doesn’t look browned or crispy on the top when it’s time to remove the skillet from the oven, just turn on your broiler for 1-2 minutes and keep an eye on it. You’ll know when it’s to your liking.

Recipe

Pumpkin Mac + Cheese with Fried Sage

Servings: 6 | Prep time: 45 min | Cook time : 25 min

Recommended Wine Pairing

Chenin Blanc for white lovers, a young Merlot for red lovers.

INGREDIENTS

1-lb rotini or medium shells
3-4 slices of chopped/torn prosciutto (or bacon)
1 medium chopped onion
4-tbsp butter (reserve 1 tbsp for topping)
3-tbsp flour
1/ 4 can of your favorite IPA
8 oz. (1/2 can) pumpkin purée
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups of heavy cream (or milk)
2 cups of shredded comté or gruyere cheese
5 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (reserve 1/4 c for topping)
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425-degrees Fahrenheit.
Boil a pot of salted water.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high heat in your cast iron skillet with the prosciutto and sage. Cook on until crispy and remove from the skillet. Set aside in a small bowl for serving later.
Add another drizzle of olive to the empty skillet saute chopped onion with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.
Add your pasta to the boiling salted water and cook as directed for al dente firmness (usually about 8-10 minutes) and drain when ready.
Melt 3 tbsp of butter to your empty skillet.
When the butter stops foaming, add 3 tbsp of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) whisking continuously. It will get lumpy - that’s okay!
Slowly whisk in the beer until the butter and flour mixture transforms into a paste-like consistency. If the mixture is aggressively bubbling, turn the heat down so the sauce bubbles slowly.

Whisk in garlic, thyme, nutmeg, and a pinch of sage.
Continue whisking and gradually add the pumpkin pureé and cream.
Add the sauteed onions into the bubbling pumpkin cream. It should start smelling amazing at this point.
Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly incorporate the shredded Comté and 3 oz of grated Parmesan with your whisk. The cheese should melt from warm sauce and the heat being held by the skillet.
When all the cheese has melted and the sauce appears smooth, add the pasta to the skillet and evenly coat it with the pumpkin cheese sauce.
Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and a few dots of butter to the top of the pasta dish.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. For extra crispiness, turn your broiler on for the final 1-2 minutes of baking.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle the fried sage and prosciutto on top. Serve, enjoy, and tag me on Instagram to let me know if you enjoyed it!