To prepare the breadcrumbs:

1. Melt the 3 TB of butter in a small heatproof bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, minced sage and minced thyme and mix well to thoroughly coat the crumbs with butter and herbs. Set the bowl aside until the mac and cheese is ready to go in the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter a deep dish 9 x 13 pan. Set the prepared pan aside while you make the mac and cheese.

Make the mac and cheese:

1. Add the 8 cups of water and 2 TB of salt to a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Most of the time, it’ll take about 8-9 minutes, but some thicker shapes (like the lumaconi) may take up to 12 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta and set it aside while you make the sauce. DO NOT rinse the pasta.
2. Stir the flour, 1 TB of salt, brown sugar, pepper, mustard, nutmeg and smoked paprika together in a small bowl and set aside. Beat the egg in another small, heatproof bowl and set it aside.
3. Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. It won’t take long at all to completely melt. Once the butter has melted and barely begun to sizzle, add the flour, salt, brown sugar and spice mixture to the pot. It will be very thick at first, but whisk the flour/butter mixture constantly for 2 minutes. It will loosen up a bit.
4. After 2 minutes, stream in the milk and cream while continuing to whisk constantly. Be sure to scrape around the edges of the pot to really get all the flour/spice mixture into the milk as you whisk. Continue whisking the sauce over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. It will coat the sides of the pan and the back of a spoon when it’s ready.
5. Remove the thickened sauce from the heat and carefully whisk in a large spoonful of the sauce into the beaten egg to temper it. Add the tempered egg/sauce mixture into the pot with the rest of the sauce and mix well.
6. Gradually whisk in the cheese by adding one handful at a time. Only add more cheese once the last handful has completely melted in and there are no lumps.
7. After all the cheese has been added, whisk in the pumpkin puree until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in the cooked pasta and pour the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish.
8. Evenly sprinkle the prepared breadcrumbs onto the top of the mac and cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes. The mac and cheese will bubble around the sides and the breadcrumbs will be a golden brown.
9. Allow the mac and cheese to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Keep any leftovers refrigerated and eat them up within a week.