Fresh-roasted nuts, crispy bacon & creamy pumpkin: what’s not to love?! This simple yet delicious pumpkin, bacon & pine nut pasta dish ticks all the right boxes for flavour, texture, aroma & colour.
Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable with such great colour & texture it’s no wonder we make the most of it when in season. (p.s. check out our pumpkin & leek soup recipe!). This easy-to-make pasta dish makes pumpkin a feature, & its creaminess contrasts beautifully with the freshly roasted pine nuts.
This is a satisfying meal without giving you that ‘heavy-in-the-tummy’ feeling. Ideal as an entree or a main course, this is a good recipe for a dinner party too. You can cook the ingredients ahead of time then simply boil the pasta & put it all together once your guests have arrived.
Gather the ingredients then chop the garlic, bacon & pumpkin.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray lightly with oil. Add the chopped pumpkin to the pan then spray again with oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
While the pumpkin is cooking, dry-fry the pine nuts in a small pan, tossing frequently until they have browned.
Fry the garlic gently, then add the bacon. I like to cook it until it’s browned a little. Cook the pasta then mix all your ingredients together. Garnish with black pepper & parmesan. Enjoy!
Pumpkin, Bacon & Pine Nut Pasta
Equipment
- 1 stove
- 1 large cooking pot
- 2 frying pans one small, one large
- 1 Oven
- 1 roasting pan
- baking paper
Ingredients
- 750 grams pumpkin 1 kilo = just over 2 pounds
- 5 tbsp oil for frying bacon & garlic
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- 5 cloves garlic
- 300 grams bacon
- 400 grams vermicelli you can use any shape of pasta you like
- spray oil for baking pumpkin
- parmesan cheese, sliced optional-for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (320F).
- Chop the bacon, garlic & pumpkin into small pieces.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper, spread the pumpkin pieces over it then coat them with spray oil. Bake for approx. 25 mins or until cooked through but not falling apart.
- While the pumpkin is baking, dry-roast the pine nuts over a low-to-medium heat in a small dry frying pan. Keep an eye on them, tossing frequently to ensure they brown but don't burn. Set aside once done.
- Next, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Gently fry the garlic for 3-4 minutes, then added the chopped bacon.
- Cook the bacon gently for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through and lightly browned.
- While the bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl before serving.
