Name: Creamy One Pot Pumpkin Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 16 oz pkg bacon (roughly chopped); 1 tbsp butter; 1 medium white onion (diced); 2 tbsp minced garlic; 1/2 cup white wine; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 4 cups chicken broth; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; salt & pepper (to taste); 8-10 oz dry spaghetti; 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Jump to Recipe

Pumpkin puree is an easy way to infuse your everyday dinner with a little extra Fall flavor. Wow your crowd with this quick and easy creamy one pot pumpkin pasta with bacon. It’s a cheesy pasta dish the whole family will love, even the picky ones, with something in it for everyone.

This time of year, pumpkins can be found at a variety or patches, orchards, and farms.

Shoot, driving down the road in our neck of the woods, you don’t have to go but a couple miles in any direction to find a roadside stand selling them this time of year.

While we whole-heartedly embrace all the fun Fall traditions, including pumpkin patches and spooky carving (and homemade roasted pumpkin seeds, of course)- pumpkins can be so much more. Especially, pumpkin puree.

Whether homemade or store bought, you can’t beat the health benefits or the flavor options from including this variety of squash into your family’s daily diet.

Pumpkin contains a variety of good-for-you bits too, most notably are fiber for your digestive system, potassium for muscles & blood pressure, Vitamin A for bone, eye, & teeth healthy, Vitamin E for immune boosting and cellular protection, and finally carotenoids.

Scratching your head and wondering, “What’s a Carotenoid?” Long story short, they’re the things that give pumpkins their bright, festive orange hue.

They also just happen to be powerful antioxidants that help protect against thing like heart disease, stroke, artery healthy, and according to research some times of cancers.

Who doesn’t want more of that in their daily diet?!

If you haven’t already, put fresh or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, the plain jane OG version) on your weekly grocery list. There’s so many possibilities there. Pumpkin can go into so many different savory meals and entrees.

Fun fact: canned pumpkin puree is actually our country’s top selling pumpkin product, and it’s not hard to figure out why. With a subtle sweetness, common in Fall squash, and it’s bright orange color- it’s a perfect addition to seasonal favorites.

Pumpkin is actually a really yummy addition to soups, stews, even chili.

It might surprise you a bit more to discover that it also is a perfect thickening agent for a Fall pasta sauce. This is a pumpkin-laden sauce even my pickiest eater looks forward to.

This creamy one pot pumpkin pasta is one of my favorite Fall comfort foods, and it’s easy– making it a real winner in my busy Mom, I have no idea what to make for dinner, school night play book.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

This seasonal pasta dish only requires a handful of standard ingredients to make.

You’ll need:

Bacon – Regular, not thick cut
Onion – White onion
Butter
Garlic – For best results use real garlic and not the jarred stuff.
Wine – White wine, can substitute cooking wine if alcohol is an issue.
Pumpkin – Canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling
Broth – Chicken broth, can also use stock
Seasonings – Nutmeg, salt, and black pepper
Pasta – Specifically spaghetti
Cheese – Shredded white cheddar and Parmesan cheese
Cream – Heavy cream

HOW TO MAKE

This rich one pot pasta is an easy 30 minute meal that will surprise and delight you with it’s depth of flavor, especially given how easy it is to throw together.

Start by setting a dutch oven, or other heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat.

Add the chopped bacon to the pot and cook, stirring often, until crispy. Using a slotted spoon transfer the crisp cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pot to melt. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and turned translucent- about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds.

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot, stirring up and stuck on browned bits, then let it cook for roughly 60 seconds.

Add the pumpkin and broth to the pot, stirring them together until evenly combined into a smooth mixture.

Stir the spaghetti pasta into the liquid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the pasta’s cooked and absorbed some of the sauce, stir in cream and the nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to the pasta, to your taste.

Remove the pot from the heat, then add the cheeses and half the bacon. Stir together until the cheese has melted and everything’s evenly combined.

Ladled into bowls, and serve this one pot pumpkin pasta topped with the remaining crispy bacon and a sprinkle of cheese.

Storing

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

TIPS & TRICKS

Don’t walk away from this while cooking, especially if using a dutch oven. Stir often to prevent sticking. Also, cast iron will stay hot and continue cooking after being removed from heat. Remember that, and consider it when deciding if the pasta’s done.
We recommend white cheddar, but you could use regular cheddar as well, or even all Parmesan.
This sauce is meant to be on the thicker side, but it it ends up being too thick for your liking, you can add a bit more chicken broth or an extra splash of cream to thin it out a bit.

Other Recipes Using Pumpkin Puree

Serve your family something deliciously different for dinner, save your own sanity with a start to finished meal in under 30 minutes, and blow their minds after they’ve thoroughly enjoyed themselves by telling them it was actually good for them.

Looking for other easy recipes that use canned pumpkin to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this CREAMY ONE POT PUMPKIN PASTA, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!