Pumpkin mac and cheese
This pumpkin mac and cheese is the healthier version of the famous mac and cheese. Super tasty and real comfort food!
- 300 g mini shells
- 0.5 pumpkin
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tl uienpoeder
- 150 g grated cheese (mix of mozzarella and young matured)
- 50 g panko
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the pumpkin and remove the seeds.
- Place with the cut side down and prick a few holes in the peel with a knife.
- Place the garlic clove in its skin alongside and roast in the oven for half an hour.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 100 ml of the cooking water.
- Scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin and put it in a food processor or tall beaker.
- Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and add paprika and onion powder along with 50 ml of the pasta cooking water.
- Mix the ingredients in the measuring cup until a smooth sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Mix the pumpkin sauce with the pasta and add extra water if necessary. It really needs to be super creamy.
- Stir 2/3 of the cheese into the pasta and spread the mixture in an oven dish.
- Finish with the remaining cheese and panko and roast in the oven until the panko is golden brown. Sprinkle with some fresh thyme, if desired.
Roasted, pureed pumpkin is super creamy and therefore perfect for a mac and cheese with hidden vegetables.
Everything about pumpkin mac and cheese
Original mac and cheese is American comfort food based on macaroni, butter, flour, milk, and plenty of grated cheese. In this recipe, you replace the classic cheese sauce with pureed roasted pumpkin mixed with cheese and pasta water. This makes the mac and cheese creamier and lighter than the traditional version.
Yes. Replace the cheese with nutritional yeast and a splash of plant-based milk in the pumpkin puree. The pumpkin naturally produces a creamy, rich sauce without dairy. Also use vegan panko for the crust.
Toss a handful of spinach into the warm pumpkin sauce before mixing it with the pasta. The spinach wilts instantly and is barely noticeable in the sauce. This way, you add vegetables without making the dish heavy.
