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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage

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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Staub Pumpkin Cocotte Bowls

Call it biased for being born in October, but fall is my absolute favorite season. From sweater weather to the crisp smell in the air of the fall leaves that are changing into beautiful hues of orange and red, autumn is a magical time of year. And nothing brings that magic to life more than the seasonal return of pumpkins.

Yes, the return of fall means every basic chick falling in line for PSLs and posing with pumpkins in an orchard, but can you blame them? Pumpkin is one of the most unique and wonderfully rich and comforting flavors, so I’ve found ways to include this flavor not only in satisfying my sweet tooth (helloooo pumpkin doughnuts), but in savory meals as well. I’ve made variations of pumpkin pasta several times now, but this creamy pumpkin mac and cheese with Italian sausage is easily my favorite way to celebrate fall flavors. I’ve actually made a few times since its inception back in 2014 (hence the different pasta shapes used in the photos below) and it’s always a huge crowd pleaser!

This pumpkin mac and cheese has the richness you crave as the temperatures turn down thanks to a creamy pumpkin béchamel sauce that gets a mountain of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, aged cheddar, and mozzarella melted into it to become a cheesy Mornay sauce. The nuttiness of the Parmigiano perfectly complements the pumpkin purée while the aged cheddar and mozzarella melt into the sauce to give it extra creaminess and flavor.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Pumpkin Bechamel
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Pumpkin Bechamel with Cheese

2019 Update: I made this again with pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree as I had a leftover can I needed to use up and it still turned out delicious, just a little sweeter. If you want to keep this more savory or aren’t a big fan of pumpkin pie spice, just use plain pumpkin puree for a more subtle nod to the seasonal squash (which is my recommendation). But if you enjoy a sweet-savory dish that’s heavier on the fall spices, you can opt to use pumpkin pie filling – just make sure not to add additional nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice as called for in the recipe.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Ingredients

The real secret star of this dish is the savory, meaty Italian sausage to balance out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. I prefer a spicy Italian sausage for a bit of heat to cut through the rich flavors. You’ll want to remove the sausage from the casing and break it apart.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Pumpkin Bechamel with Cheese - Kamikoto Knife for Italian Sausage

Finally the pumpkin mac and cheese is topped off with breadcrumbs tossed with melted butter and fresh rosemary and/or sage to provide that crisp crunchy topping that’s the perfect textural contrast to the ooey gooey cheese underneath for the ultimate fall comfort food. That’s right – this dish will maintain the creaminess you get from stovetop mac and cheese thanks to the pumpkin bechamel sauce, so don’t worry about it drying out. The extra time baking in the oven is so worth it for the coveted crispy outer layer that everyone will be fighting over!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Pumpkin Bechamel with Cheese - Close Up

A few VERY important steps for not effing up your bechamel:

  1. Your milk should be HOT. As in hot enough to produce bubbles on the edges, but not enough that it’s boiling.
  2. Add the milk in gradually.
  3. Don’t stop stirring.

If you fail to do either of these, your bechamel will likely either not thicken up properly or burn on the bottom of the pan. So heat up your milk and keep on stirring and whisking and you’ll end up with a sauce with body like Beyoncé -it’s worth it!

If you feel that making the bechamel sauce is just too much work though, you can skip it and just stir the pumpkin purée into 2 cups of milk or cream in a skillet over medium heat, then stir in all of the cheese and combine with the pasta to evenly coat. But I personally love making a true bechamel and find that it makes all the difference in maintaining that extra creamy goodness in your final pumpkin mac and cheese.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Italian Sausage Recipe - Staub Pumpkin Cocotte Bowls & Finex Skillet

This recipe is based on making a full baking pan’s worth of pumpkin mac and cheese with an entire box of pasta, which I split between my Finex cast iron skillet and new Staub pumpkin bowls (though I wish I had their gorgeous pumpkin cocotte so fill with this mac & cheese). You can easily divide the recipe if you want to make a smaller portion. Half a box of pasta will fit in a cast iron skillet (my recommended cooking vessel for mac & cheese for crispy edges!) and feed 4-6 people to great results.

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese Italian Sausage Recipe Pin

Jen Balisi

Jen Balisi is a New Yorker turned expat, indulging in the best dining, home-cooked recipes, and travel destinations in Hong Kong and around the world.

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1 Comment

  1. […] my Thanksgiving dumplings aren’t enough, try my Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Italian Sausage or turn your leftovers into my Thanksgiving Breakfast […]

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