One Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
One Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
All recipes developed by Becca Heyes.
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There’s something particularly fun about eating pumpkin at this time of year, even if it comes from a can. It’s not as popular here in the UK as it is elsewhere, but I love the extra dimension the pumpkin brings to this cheesy pasta. This one pot pumpkin mac and cheese is rich, comforting and full of autumnal flavour.
And the best part? It’s a one pot meal! The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so there’s no need to boil it separately and wash up another pan. As it cooks, the pasta soaks up all the delicious flavour from the creamy pumpkin sauce, making every bite super tasty. It’s easy, cosy and requires minimal washing up – basically everything I want from a weeknight dinner.
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🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cheesy pumpkin pasta.
Detailed ingredient quantities (in both US and UK recipe formats) can be found in the printable recipe card.
- canned pumpkin. This can sometimes be hard to find in the UK, but if needed you can purchase it on Amazon. Make sure you use 100% pumpkin – nothing sweetened or spiced.
- macaroni or similar small pasta shape. Larger pasta will also work, but will take a little longer to cook. If you’re using a larger pasta shape, make sure you measure the quantity by weight, not by cups, as this will differ from the small macaroni.
- milk
- vegetable stock – I used a stock cube dissolved in water, but liquid stock will also work fine.
- smoked paprika, garlic and dried thyme – to add plenty of warm, autumnal flavour to the sauce.
- cheddar cheese – ideally freshly grated mature (or extra mature!) cheddar.
📝 Note: If you have a fresh pumpkin that you’d like to use instead of canned, you can microwave or roast the pumpkin, puree it thoroughly, then proceed with the recipe as written.
🔪 Equipment You’ll Need
For this one pot pasta recipe, I used my favourite enormous Le Creuset pot. I’ve been looking for any excuse to use it recently (see my creamy vegetable stew!) – it’s just so satisfying to see such a beautiful big pot of food bubbling away on the hob.
Le Creuset casserole dishes are admittedly pretty expensive (mine was a very generous gift a long time ago and I don’t think I would have bought one myself, purely for price reasons – though I do absolutely love having one). Luckily, you can also buy very similar pots that are a much more budget-friendly and have great reviews:
You could also try…
One Pot Enchilada Orzo
One Pot Baked Boursin Pasta
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Pumpkin and Feta
📝 How to Make Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
One Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or sage
- 450 g (~ 1 lb / ~ 3 cups) uncooked macaroni
- 1 can (425 g / 15 oz / ~ 1 3/4 cups) plain unsweetened pumpkin
- 625 ml (~ 2 1/2 cups) milk
- 500 ml (~ 2 cups) vegetable stock
- 300 g mature cheddar cheese, grated (~ 3 cups when grated)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste.
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot, and add the minced garlic, smoked paprika and dried thyme. Cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat, until fragrant.
- Add the next 4 ingredients (uncooked pasta, canned pumpkin, milk, vegetable stock), and mix well to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring regularly to stop the pasta from sticking.
- Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
- Turn the heat down low, and add the grated cheese. Mix to combine, and allow the cheese to melt into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper (I like lots of pepper!). If you like, you can sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, and allow it to melt (or even place it under the grill / broiler for a minute or two) to create an extra little cheesy topping. I also garnished with some semi-dried parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
This was absolutely delicious. I substituted the pumpkin for half a butternut squash I had. I roasted this in a little olive oil and puréed. I also cut down the amount of macaroni. Will definitely be making again 😁♥️
Made this this evening with fresh butternut squash which I cooked first and then pureed. Our verdict is that it was very nice, but would have been better had I made something to go with it – another vegetable, perhaps, or a salad. I’m not sure I will make it again, but I’m glad I made it this time, and it might well become the basis for experiments in the future! I’m always after one-pot stovetop dishes to make in the motorhome!
Hey Becca could you do this dish in a slow cooker?
Hi Doris, I haven’t tested it in a slow cooker but I don’t see why not! Since the pasta cooks in the liquid anyway, you might not need to adjust the amounts too much. I’d probably err on using slightly less liquid to begin with, and then you can always add a splash more if needed.
This recipe has come at just the right time. I have a can of pumpkin puree and i’ve been wondering what I should do with it. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe ASAP.
I made this this evening. Added toasted pine nuts and veggie sausages for my sons. I also substituted sage for Thyme because it’s what I had in and i’m not sure i like Thyme but i do like sage with butternut squash etc so thought it would go and it does.
Yes sage would be great too, glad you liked it :)
Thanks Melanie, hope you like it :)