Step one:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional.

Step two:

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni for 8–10 minutes until al dente. Reserve around 120ml of the pasta water before draining.

Step three:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, whisking continuously.

Step four:

Gradually whisk in the milk followed by the cream until smooth.

Step five:

Stir in the pumpkin purée, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Step six:

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated Applewood Bar until smooth. If needed, loosen the sauce with a splash of the reserved pasta water.

Step seven:

Fold the cooked macaroni through the sauce before transferring to a lightly greased ovenproof dish.

Step eight:

Sprinkle over the Applewood Grated and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden, bubbling and crisp around the edges.

Step nine:

Garnish with chopped chives or parsley before serving.