Pumpkin Sage Mac and Cheese

This cozy mac and cheese is all about classic fall flavors.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 20-25 leaves sage
• 2 cups milk (whole preferred)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 8 oz ziti (or macaroni noodle of choice)
• 2 1/4 cups cheddar (grated)
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• salt and freshly ground pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Melt the butter in a large sauté pan or pot over medium heat. Add the sage leaves, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until crisp, 5 to 15 seconds, depending on the size of the leaves. Remove the crisp leaves to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
2. 2Whisk the flour into the melted butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is a blond color and the mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk in a thin stream, continuing to whisk until any lumps are gone and the sauce is smooth and quite thick, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. 3Add the remaining 1 cup of milk along with 2½ cups of water, as well as the garlic, mustard, and onion powders. Add the uncooked ziti and stir until wisps of steam come up, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low. Let cook, gently bubbling, until the ziti is tender and the sauce starts to thicken, 9 to 10 minutes. (It will still be quite saucy at this point—adding the cheese will thicken it up.)
4. 4Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and pumpkin puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand for a couple of minutes; the sauce will thicken as it rests. Crumble the crispy sage leaves on top, and serve hot.