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Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage

This Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage is a deliciously creamy pumpkin pasta sauce with bits of bacon for extra flavor.

Fall is such a great time of year. The crisp air, the beautiful leaves on the trees, and the cozy evenings at home. It’s a season worth celebrating. For us, there are always trips to the pumpkin farm, lots of baking, and cold jugs of apple cider in the fridge. The flavors of this season are warm, earthy, and have a bit of spice to them. We know all too well that there is a roaring pumpkin spice craze all around this season. It is delicious, I won’t pretend otherwise.

And let’s not forget those all too familiar delicious sweet treats like this Pumpkin Spice Cake with Butter Cream Icing or that morning batch of Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes. Something we look forward to making each fall season.

However, pumpkins can also be savory. Something I have only entertained in my kitchen these past few years. Surprisingly so. From soups to this delicious creamy Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage. It creates a creaminess that blends well with savory spices. In the future, I am more than sure there will be a pumpkin soup to enjoy on this blog. For now, there is this creamy flavorful pasta to enjoy.

Why I Love This Recipe

This pasta sounds fancy and admittedly when plated, it appears so. However, the ingredients are simple and the steps to create this dish are straightforward. I love making this dish as it has this creamy element to it while adding a good dose of vitamins to a pasta dish. It’s a great alternative to macaroni and cheese. One that uses whole ingredients and comes together with ease.

What You Will Need To Make It

1 tbsp flour

6 slices thick cut bacon

2 tbps butter

4 large sage leaves

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of milk

1.5 tsp sea salt

2 garlic cloves

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 lb package of spaghetti pasta

ingredients for pumpkin and bacon pasta with sage

Directions

Begin by cooking pasta according to package directions. Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces. In a skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it in a bowl. Set aside.

bacon cooking in a skillet

Wipe the pan out, return to the heat and add the butter.

pasta cooked in a stockpot

Chop the sage and allow it to cook in the butter for a few seconds. While the sage and butter cook, mince the garlic.

sage chopped up on a cutting board

Add it to the skillet along with the tsp of cinnamon. Give the contents of the pan a good stir. Sprinkle the flour and stir into the butter to make a rue.

Slowly add the milk, stirring or whisking consistently while the milk thickens. Add the salt and the pumpkin. Mix together until blended well.

pumpkin sauce in a skillet

Pour the sauce over the pasta in the stock pot. Add 1/2 of the bacon to the pot and stir the contents until fully incorporated.

Transfer the pasta to a serving platter and garnish with the remaining bacon.

pumpkin and bacon pasta with sage on a white plate
pumpkin and bacon pasta with sage on a white plate

Cooking Notes

  • Make Pasta before starting the sauce. The sauce comes together quickly. Having the pasta ready to pour the sauce over is helpful when cooking.
  • Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water if planning to reheat. The longer the pasta sits in the sauce, the more it absorbs the sauce. Reheating and adding a little pasta water helps make it creamy again.
  • You can use any type of pasta you like for this dish. I have used penne, linguine, and bow tie pasta with great results.
  • Try it with this Basic Egg Pasta if your in the mood for pasta making.

Serving Suggestions

  • This Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage is a great dish all by itself. However, if serving at a dinner party or wanting to add a bit extra to the meal. Here are some suggestions.
  • Serve alongside a light mixed green salad to a fresh easy veggie side dish.
  • Garlic bread. Always a great pairing with any sort of pasta. Pasta tends to be a heavier type of dish so adding bread might seem like too much but this works well for feeding larger groups or for dinner parties.
  • Roasted Veggies are always a good side option. Be sure to check out this Roasted Asparagus as an option.
  • Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage also goes well with white wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.
  • For a great dessert, option try these Poached Pears in Red Wine. They are a delicious light dessert to serve after a heavy pasta meal.

Pumpkin Of Benefits

Incorporating pumpkin into your diet is pretty easy to do and has great benefits in doing so. Most of us eat pumpkin for the flavor aspects of it. We don’t usually think much about the benefits of pumpkins when we are looking to make a pie or scone from them. Yet they are a very healthy food to add to your diet.

This Pumpkin and Bacon with Sage pasta allows you to do so without adding a ton of sugar to it. So it’s a great recipe to incorporate into your meal planning. Pumpkins are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are suggested to improve the immune system, help protect eyesight, and promote heart and skin health. All great things from an individual food item. I felt it was worth mentioning with this savory pumpkin pasta recipe.

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Stock Pot

Dinner Plates Set of 6

Pasta Serving Platters Set of 2

Cast Iron Skillets Set of 2 (10 in and 12 in )

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!

Yield: 8 servings

Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta with Sage

pumpkin and bacon pasta with sage

a pasta dish of creamy pumpkin sauce with bacon

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups of milk
  • 1.5 tsp sea salt
  • 6 slices of good quality bacon
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 4 large sage leaves
  • 2 tbsp of butter

Instructions

    1. Begin by cooking pasta according to package directions. Be sure to salt pasta water when cooking.
    2. Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces. In a skillet cook bacon until crisp.
    3. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it in a bowl. Set aside.
    4. Wipe the pan out, return to the heat and add the butter.
    5. Chop the sage and allow it to cook in the butter for a few seconds.
    6. While the sage and butter cook, mince the garlic.
    7. Add it to the skillet along with the tsp of cinnamon.
    8. Give the contents of the pan a good stir.
    9. Sprinkle the flour and stir into the butter to make a rue.
    10. Slowly add the milk, stirring or whisking consistently while the milk thickens.
    11. Add the salt and the pumpkin. Mix together until blended well.
    12. Pour the sauce over the pasta in the stock pot.
    13. Add 1/2 of the bacon to the pot and stir the contents until fully incorporated.
    14. Transfer the pasta to a serving platter and garnish with the remaining bacon.

Notes

  • Make Pasta before starting the sauce. The sauce comes together quickly. Having the pasta ready to pour the sauce over is helpful when cooking.
  • Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water if planning to reheat. The longer the pasta sits in the sauce, the more it absorbs the sauce. Reheating and adding a little pasta water helps make it creamy again.
  • You can use any type of pasta you like for this dish. I have used penne, linguine, and bow-tie pasta with great results.
  • Try it with this Basic Egg Pasta if you're in the mood for pasta making.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 508mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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Check Out More Favorites From The Farmhouse!

Glazed Meatloaf Recipe

Pork Fried Rice

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Classic Carbonara

Chicken Marsala

Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

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2 Comments

    1. Hi Patti,

      A good alternative would be fresh oregano or if you want something fresh but more subtle, flat-leaf Italian parsley is one I like to use in its place. I make a meatless version of this where I leave out the bacon and use thyme for my herb and that is pretty good too. Good luck and let me know what you wind up trying. I would love to know how it turned out with another herb for you 🙂

      Roxanna

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