Dinner
◦
Creamy Pumpkin Penne Alfredo with bacon, goat cheese, and thyme is totally addicting and the ultimate cold weather meal!
Does anyone else get annoyed when you make a recipe using half a can of pumpkin and then the other half gets stashed in the fridge, never to be seen again? This recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Penne Alfredo is the first in my mini series for 3 recipes using just 1 can of pumpkin. No leftovers involved!
I wanted to bring you a non dessert recipe first to show you that pumpkin is more than a pie at Thanksgiving or a loaf of moist bread at your weekly bachelorette viewing night. It’s so much more!
Pumpkin puree is already silky smooth, and so it contributes to an alfredo type sauce quite nicely. I opted to use goat cheese in mine instead of the classic butter, parmesan and milk alfredo combination, but if you like parmesan better, that will be quite tasty as well!
The other two recipes in the mini series are a pan of decadent pumpkin and walnut fudgy brownies and then a pumpkin coconut smoothie that my toddler absolutely loves!
If I have 2 tips for you in making this recipe, they would be to be liberal with your seasoning and to SALT SALT SALT your pasta water. I had no idea how much of a difference throwing a tablespoon of water into your pasta pot could make until I did it for the first time! Now you’ll find me snatching bites of unsauced pasta straight from the pot because it’s so darn good just by itself.
It’s the little things, friends. Don’t skimp, crack open your favorite drink, and enjoy!
Creamy Pumpkin Penne Alfredo
Description
Creamy Pumpkin Penne Alfredo with bacon, goat cheese, and thyme is totally addicting and the ultimate cold weather meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 lb penne pasta
- 3 slices bacon, diced into small bits
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese or 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, fry bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Once bacon is crispy, add onion and garlic, and sauté until soft.
- Add thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, pumpkin, and milk. Stir over medium low heat until combined and creamy.
- Toss cooked pasta into sauce, heat through, then sprinkle with goat cheese or grated parmesan.
Other Vegetarian Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Pressure Cooker Cream Cheese Pasta
Pressure Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff