I know it’s been ages since I posted a recipe. This is a very easy recipe, and a good use for extra pumpkin around the house.
Penne with Pumpkin, Bacon and Cream sauce
2 C fresh pumpkin, steamed (or 1 can of puree)
1 pound penne
6 strips thick-cut bacon
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 C cream (or milk)
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1 C parmesan cheese, grated
- If you’re using fresh pumpkin, cut it into quarters and steam until soft. Peel off the skin and mash.
- Cook the penne al dente. Use lots of water, don’t add salt, and don’t overcook the penne.
- In a deep skillet, cook the bacon. Remove any gristle, but save the grease. Dice the strips.
- Lower the heat and sautee the garlic in the bacon grease with the diced bacon. Garlic burns very easily, so stir often. (If you want to be really fancy, let the bacon grease cool and cook the garlic on the lowest setting for about 20 minutes until it’s golden brown.)
- Add the mashed (or canned) pumpkin, parsley, and cream. Stir until warmed.
- Drain the pasta. Stir in the grated parmesan, then the sauce. Mix well and serve immediately.
Is there a way to bypass the bacon grease? (ie toss the garlic in with the pumpkin, cream, etc.)
I think it sounds yummy, but I have an aversion to grease. :)
At minimum, I’d sautee the garlic in a little butter. (The bacon grease is just convenient.) Unless you have really bad bacon, there’s usually not that much grease — maybe a few tablespoons — and this gets absorbed by everything else such that the meal is very non-greasy.
Just whatever you do, don’t buy Chuckwagon bacon even if it is on sale. The bacon to grease ratio is very, very low.
I’ll have to try this when we have pumpkins again. Thanks for the receipe!
You’re welcome!
BTW, Lisa — When I get bacon (which is infrequently), I spring for the thick-sliced, applewood smoked stuff in my grocery store’s meat counter. You can also cook it on a standard oven broiler pan (with the top piece taken out) on 400°F for approximately 15 minutes. However, the bacon grease is part of the flavouring.
The Chicago Tribune recently had a recipe for a pumpkin lasagne recipe that I clipped (well, printed out) and have been meaning to try. IIRC, bechemel and mascarpone were other key players. This sounds good, too, and like I could probably make a smaller version (I doubt T would try it).
Surprisingly good =) I used maple bacon. I also added a dash of paprika on top… but I bet there’s other spices that would round out the flavor as well.
G’day!
Just curious approximately how long the pumpkin shoudl take to steam? Thanks in advance!
Sorry…clicked on the button too soon
Can I substitute the same amount of ricotta cheese for milk or cream? Thank you!
Just steam it long enough until you can stick a blunt cooking utensil through it with ease. (You can substitute any winter squash.)
The texture might be a little off with ricotta, but you could thin it out with water or add a small sprinkle of flour to thicken.
This sounds like a truly yummy recipe. What a great way to use my fresh pumpkin.