This easy-to-make pumpkin pasta dish is a great way to use up any leftover canned pumpkin you might have. It combines chopped thick-cut bacon, fresh sage, and apple in a creamy pumpkin sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. For a more filling meal, you can even add in diced chicken, spinach, or even mushrooms.
Have I mentioned how much it irritates me when a recipe doesn’t use the entire amount of an ingredient? Pumpkin is one of the largest culprits. Cookies, cakes, and pies, often only call for a 1/4 cup or a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, leaving the rest of the can sitting there with no purpose. The leftover pumpkin is infuriating. What am I to do with a bit of pumpkin? This week, the answer to that question was to make fall pasta. This hearty dish helped me quickly overcome my irritation with leftover canned pumpkin because it left me feeling warm, snuggly, comforted, and ready for everything fall brings with it.
Ingredients:
- 8-oz. Pasta
- 2 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon, Finely Chopped
- 1 Cooking Apple, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Sage, Finely Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Pumpkin
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan (Extra for Serving)
- Sea Salt
Directions:
- Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Cook the bacon for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, while waiting for the pasta to cook.
- Add the cut apple, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes, before mixing in the pumpkin and continuing to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and pepper, and cook for two minutes.
- Stir in the cheese and season with salt to taste.
- Combine the sauce and the cooked pasta and serve with additional parmesan cheese grated over the top.
Suggestions:
- I used Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli in this recipe, but feel free to use whichever pasta is your favorite.
- You can replace the fresh sage with dried, but you will most likely only need to add a large pinch.
- I used a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in this recipe, but the amount of salt you use will depend on the amount of sodium in the bacon and cheese that you use.
- I often use Grana Padano cheese in place of Parmesan or Reggiano.
Improvements:
- Sliced mushrooms would add a nice earthiness to this dish.
- Add diced chicken and spinach to this dish to create a warm and comforting fall seasonal meal.
- If you’re looking for another easy-t0-make pasta dish, try this 15-Minute Ravioli with Pumpkin Cream Sauce.
Ingredients:
- 8-oz. Pasta
- 2 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon, Finely Chopped
- 1 Cooking Apple, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Sage, Finely Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Pumpkin
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan (Extra for Serving)
- Sea Salt
Directions:
- Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Cook the bacon for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, while waiting for the pasta to cook.
- Add the cut apple, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes, before mixing in the pumpkin and continuing to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and pepper, and cook for two minutes.
- Stir in the cheese and season with salt to taste.
- Combine the sauce and the cooked pasta and serve with additional parmesan cheese grated over the top.
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