Ingredients
Method
Cook the Pasta and Vegetables
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, place the diced potato and butternut squash in a separate pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 12–15 minutes, until very tender. Drain well.
Blend the Sauce
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender suitable for warm ingredients. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, smashed garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and optional cayenne.
- Blend until completely smooth, following your blender’s guidance for hot ingredients. Work in batches if necessary.
Melt the Cheese and Add the Pasta
- Pour the blended sauce into a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the nutritional yeast.
- Gradually add the cheddar and Gouda, stirring until melted. Keep the heat gentle and avoid boiling.
- Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is creamy and loose enough to coat the pasta. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Fold in the cooked pasta and stir until evenly coated.
Make the Optional Topping
- Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the dry sage leaves and sliced garlic. Cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, watching closely, until the sage is crisp and the garlic is pale golden. Remove each as it finishes to prevent burning.
- Serve the mac and cheese hot, topped with crispy sage and garlic if using.
Nutrition
Notes
- Boil the potato and squash until very tender so they blend smoothly.
- Drain the vegetables well before blending.
- Use plain pumpkin purée rather than sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- Freshly shredded cheese generally melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Keep the sauce over gentle heat after adding the cheese.
- The fresh garlic is blended into the sauce without first being cooked separately, giving it a more pronounced flavor.