This creamy pumpkin bacon pasta is the ultimate comfort food for crisp autumn days. The rich, hearty dish perfectly combines the sweet flavour of pumpkin with smoky bacon, creating an indulgent and satisfying pasta recipe that will warm you up from the inside out.
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The mixture of pumpkin, garlic, and rosemary takes a trip to the oven, joined by the smoked bacon rashers for the final 10 minutes of roasting.
Following that, simply blitz everything together in a food processor or blender along with single cream, mustard, Parmesan, and a cup of the pasta's cooking water, resulting in a lusciously smooth and glossy pumpkin pasta sauce that is nothing short of amazing!
Love creamy pasta dishes? You'll also like my creamy garlic mushroom pasta, creamy sweet potato pasta, and creamy sausage pasta!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- The recipe harnesses the rich and earthy flavours of pumpkin, making it a perfect dish to enjoy during the autumn season.
- The recipe is simple and straightforward, requiring minimal effort and time to prepare, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights or when you want a delicious meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Pumpkins are not only delicious but also packed with vital nutrients, including vitamins A and C, making this dish a tasty way to incorporate more vitamins into your diet.
🥘 Ingredients
Pasta - use any shape pasta you like. I prefer using short pasta like rigatoni or fusilli.
Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons drizzled over the pumpkin before roasting.
Pumpkin - 1 small pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and chopped into bite-size chunks.
Rosemary - a woody herb that pairs well with pumpkin.
Garlic Cloves - roasted in their skins to mellow out their pungent flavour and add a subtle sweetness to the dish.
Smoked Streaky Bacon - 6 rashers are needed to add a salty, smoky flavour that balances the sweetness of the pumpkin and adds a satisfying crunch.
Single Cream - helps create the silky smooth sauce.
Parmesan - for extra umami flavour.
Dijon Mustard - a tangy, sharp note that cuts through the richness of the sauce.
Lemon Juice - balances the heaviness of the cream and Parmesan, keeping the dish from feeling too rich.
Salt & Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170 °fan/ 375 °F/ Gas 5) and place the cubed pumpkin, garlic cloves (in skin), and rosemary in a large roasting tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 35 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
Two: Lay the bacon rashers over the pumpkin and pop the tray back in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, and before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water for the sauce.
Three: Once the bacon is cooked, tip everything into a food processor (reserving 2 rashers of bacon for sprinkling on top of the pasta later). Make sure you squeeze the garlic from the skins first though! Whilst the processor is on add the cream, mustard, Parmesan, lemon juice, and as much pasta cooking water as you need to create a smooth pasta sauce.
Four: Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve sprinkled with chopped smoked bacon and more grated Parmesan.
Top Tips
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins before adding them to the food processor, as this will ensure a smooth and even distribution of the garlic flavour throughout the sauce.
- Always reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the cooked pasta. This starchy liquid is crucial for creating a silky, smooth, and glossy sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
- Experiment with additional herbs like thyme or oregano to enhance the flavour complexity of the dish. Feel free to mix and match herbs based on your personal preferences and what you have available.
- For a vegetarian version, simply omit the bacon and replace it with your favourite roasted vegetables, such as mushrooms or courgettes, to maintain a hearty and satisfying meal.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, gradually add more reserved pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
🍴 Serving suggestions
This satisfying pumpkin and bacon pasta is a complete meal in itself. However, if you fancy adding something extra, a delicious slice of focaccia would be a perfect choice.
To complement the meal and balance the richness of the sauce, a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc would pair beautifully with the pasta.
📖 Variations
- Swap the pumpkin for butternut squash.
- Make it veggie by omitting the bacon and using vegetarian hard cheese instead of Parmesan.
- Increase the veggies by adding petit pois or fresh spinach leaves to the pasta for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Make it healthier by swapping the single cream for half fat creme fraiche. You'll need more pasta cooking water to thin the sauce out.
🥡 Storage
This is one pasta recipe where eating it fresh is best!
While you can store leftover sauce in the fridge and reheat it, it might lose that glossy, silky-smooth texture that makes it so special.
❓ FAQS
Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half.
Using a spoon, deseed the middle of the pumpkin, making sure you remove all of the seeds and stringy membrane.
Peel the skin with a sharp knife.
Finally, cut the pumpkin into bitesize chunks ready for roasting in the oven.
The roasting time for pumpkin depends on the size of the chunks and your desired level of caramelisation. Generally, for bite-sized pumpkin chunks (about 1 to 1.5 inches), follow these guidelines:
For slightly tender pumpkin with a bit of bite, roast at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes.
For softer, more caramelised pumpkin, roast at 200°C (400°F) for 30-35 minutes.
😋Related recipes
Some more delicious pasta recipes to try!
- Easy Chorizo and Pepper Pasta
- Creamy Boursin Pasta
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Halloumi Pasta
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Easy Pesto Pasta
🍽️ More pumpkin recipes
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Recipe
Creamy Pumpkin Bacon Pasta
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 350 g Pasta
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 500 g Pumpkin peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Rosemary sprigs
- 4 Garlic Cloves in their skins
- 6 Smoked Bacon rashers
- 300 ml Single Cream
- 75 g Parmesan grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°c (170 fan/ 375F/ Gas 5). Place the cubed pumpkin, rosemary and garlic in their skins in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 500 g Pumpkin, 2 Rosemary sprigs, 4 Garlic Cloves
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water for later.350 g Pasta
- Take the roasting tray out of the oven and lay the 6 bacon rashers on top. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.6 Smoked Bacon rashers
- Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and place the pumpkin, rosemary, garlic and 4 of the bacon rashers (reserving the remaining 2 rashers for sprinkling on top of the pasta later) in a food processor with the single cream, lemon juice, Parmesan and dijon mustard. Blitz in the processor until smooth, then gradually add enough of the reserved pasta water to make a glossy silky pumpkin pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper.300 ml Single Cream, 75 g Parmesan, ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper
- Toss the pumpkin sauce with the pasta then chop the reserved bacon rashers into small pieces and sprinkle on top.
Chloe Edges
Yup I'm in. I'm totally obsessed with squash and rosemary and every single flavour in this is going to work brilliantly. It's on the meal plan!
Jeannette
Pumpkin and pasta is such a heavenly combination, especially with cream involved! Love how simple this recipe is. Thanks for sharing!
Sue
What a lovely fresh take on pasta sauce. Can't wait to give it a try!
Toni Dash
This quickly became a favorite meal at my house! It was so good!
Jess
Wow! Who knew two of my favorite flavors could come together so well in one dish!
Jacqui - Recipes Made Easy:Only Crumbs Remain
Love pasta with pumpkin, and I like your way of thinking with the added bacon even better! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Maria
This I am all in! I mean good pasta, plus a super creamy sauce to match. That is like a perfect combination. What makes it extra is the smoked bacon factor. Wow! Can't wait to do this. A twist to regular spaghetti or pasta dishes.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This looks and sounds delicious. The flavours are so comforting and Autumnal.
Corina Blum
It looks delicious and I love the warm colour that the pumpkin gives to the pasta sauce - It looks so inviting!