Creamy Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese from Paula, bell’alimento

Hi, I’m Paula! I have a little place on the web called bell’alimento. I’m tickled to be guest posting on Bran Appetit (am I the only one who has to say that with a Julia Childs’ accent) filling in for my awesome friend Brandi while she’s away.

When it comes to food I believe in balance. I after all can only eat so many salads. Every now and then we all just need a bowl of hot creamy macaroni and cheese goodness. Right? Today creamy pumpkin macaroni and cheese fits that bill for me. While I realize that pumpkin isn’t exactly in high demand at the moment, I happen to be a year round pumpkin lover. Anybody else? Thankfully pumpkin puree is always available in the store when the craving hits. Whew, crisis averted.

Next time you have a mac n cheese craving, why not give pumpkin mac a cheese a go? If you happen to be lucky enough to have any leftover I think it’s even better the next day!

Baci!
Paula

Creamy Pumpkin Mac N Cheese
bell’alimento
Ingredients:
1 pound shells pasta
salt/pepper
7.5 ounces pumpkin puree
7.5 ounces ricotta
¼ cup mascarpone
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 egg yolks
½ cup grated Pecorino cheese

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish (or individual ramekins) with cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat a large stockpot of generously salted water to boiling. When boiling, add pasta, reduce heat and cook until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water prior to draining. Drain. Set aside.

Into a large mixing bowl add: pumpkin, ricotta, mascarpone, nutmeg, eggs, reserved pasta water. Season with salt/pepper. Mix to combine.
Pour mixture into dish. Top with grated Pecorino cheese.

Bake approximately 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.