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The picture looked so tasty that I had to try this, and it did not disappoint! Very tasty, and not just on a “healthy” scale. Plus, it was husband approved! Thanks for sharing!
Regina
What did you do this weekend?
I took advantage of the opportunity to eat blissful creamy bacon and pumpkin pasta and snuggle with a pug.
Yes, I said snuggle with a pug. I was snug as a bug in a rug with a pug. And a mug.
Gahhhh.
That sweet wrinkly face gives me a tingly nose and shivers. Sheeeee’s sooooo cuuuuute! I might absolutely do have a puppy crush on her.
And you probably already know that I have a hungry girl crush on this pumpkin pasta.
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.
Pumpkin in pasta. Um, questionable.
Long story short, we need to stop judging our favorite fall vegetable. fruit? …ingredient. How did pumpkin get stereotyped as an exclusively sweet ingredient? It’s so versatile and healthy. And healthy is a good thing this week. Cause come Turkey Thursday, you know what’s goin down. Seconds, thirds, and multiple desserts with whipped cream are what’s goin down. JOY.
If you liked this butternut squash mac and cheese with caramelized onions, apples, and bacon (which is pretty much impossible not to like), then this pasta is going to rock.your.socks.off. And it might rock some pounds off, too? That’s a fool-proof diet plan, if you ask me. I love when eating a huge bowl of pasta makes your jeggings fit better.
Speaking of jeggings, I’ve been majorly over-wearing them because of their comfy wonderfulness. Help?
Healthy Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This healthy bacon and pumpkin pasta is made with a creamy pumpkin sauce, whole wheat pasta shells, and crumbled bacon. 300 calories per serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry whole grain shells
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ounce light cream cheese
- 1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions or green onions
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pan. Reduce heat to low.
- Add pumpkin through salt and pepper and stir until cream cheese is melted and mixture is warmed through.
- Divide between two bowls and top with crumbled bacon and green onions.
Notes
I’ve also made this with caramelized onions for a little sweeter, more buttery flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Keywords: healthy bacon pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pasta, bacon pasta
Have you tried pumpkin in savory dishes?
And btw, who wants to see more snogglishly cute pug pictures? I’m trying not to overwhelm you with cuteness all at once, but there’s definitely more where that came from. Get ready.
This recipe was perfectly easy for using up pumpkin purée I had in the fridge. Also my kiddos loved it. I use elbow pasta since it was what I had on hand. I could see adding some broccoli to it too.
Thank you for sharing this blog, It is about healthy bacon pumpkin pasta, it is very good blog, and its so easy for understand .
I made this last night because we were having vegetarians over, and this was easy enough to please vegetarians and meat lovers.
There were five adults and a preschooler, so I tripled the recipe, and that was perfect.
The vegetarians loved it, but I wasn’t a big fan. The pumpkin flavor was a little too strong for me, but that could be due to the type of puree we used or just my personal tastes. I will definitely consider making this again when we are beset with vegetarians.
Hi! This recipe looks delicious! I was wondering if there is any substitute for cream cheese that you could use in this? I’m lactose intolerant but I really want to try out this recipe! Thank you 🙂 x
Hi Erin! Unfortunately we aren’t well-versed in dairy substitutes for items like cream cheese. I’d recommend using your favorite dairy-free alternative (nut cheese, cashew cream, etc).
Recipe is missing several steps. Where do you add the evap milk & garlic??
Hi Amy! It’s added in step 2. 🙂
Beautiful photos, but unfortunately this dish was super bland. Creamy, but zero flavor. I tried adding nutmeg to individual portions to see if it would help, but it didn’t. I’m not a natural cook, so I really rely on the recipe to be right. I also agree with previous commenters that the “through” directions should have been clearer.
OMG… saved!! this looks totally scrumptious! i will be making this right after the Thanksgiving holiday…… Thank You for sharing with us.
I’m about to give this a try, I’m psyched! I’m going to sub in greek yogurt for the cream cheese (I have some yogurt I need to use). Will let you know how it turns out!
Ohh sounds soo good! And perfect timing as my leftover pumpkin is going to grow hair soon! lol – just wondering if you’ve ever tried mixing it with your cauliflower alfredo sause? I modified your recipe so it’s dairy free but thought might work instead of the cream cheese & evaporated milk! I LOVE the cauliflower alfredo sause soo much! Thanks!!
No but I loooove that idea!