Spicy Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Cayenne Bacon & Feta

Pumpkin is great sweet or savoury. Whether in smoothies, as a soup, a topping on salads, a pie at Thanksgiving or as a pasta sauce, its orange low-calorie awesomeness is simply satisfying.

Easy Roasted Pumpkin

Mashed roasted pumpkin keeps in the freezer for up to 5 months. This makes it really easy to whip up a delicious meal at a moment’s notice.

1kg pumpkin, cut in half

• Drizzle olive oil & roast at 200°C/400ºF for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
• Once cooked it should be soft & mushy. Use your fork to shred the pumpkin flesh in the skin. Scoop it out into a large tupperware. 
• Allow to cool before refrigerating. You can freeze this for up to 5 months. 
• Use this to make Pumpkin Pie Smoothies, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Mash (as a side dish), or Pumpkin Pasta. 

The Perfect Pumpkin Pasta Recipe

The combination of textures and flavours is what makes this dish so delightful. The saltiness of the feta against the sweet and spicy pumpkin sauce, with the crunch of walnut and crispy cayenne bacon will send you to heaven and back!

Spicy Pumpkin Pasta with Walnut, Crispy Cayenne Bacon & Feta

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• Author: Cheryl Miles
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 2 1x

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Description

This sweet and spicy pumpkin pasta can be enjoyed by vegans or vegetarians. Simply omit the bacon and feta as desired. The pumpkin sauce is where it’s at! 

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

FOR THE PUMPKIN:

• 1 kg pumpkin, halved – roasted in the oven at 200ºC for 20 minutes

FOR THE PASTA:

• 200g pasta, cooked al dente in salted water and set aside
• reserve 2 cups of pasta water
• 2 cups of roasted pumpkin (see above)
• 2 tablespoons cream (or coconut cream for vegan option)
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 garlic cloves, roasted
• 2 handful raw walnuts, roasted
• feta cheese, cubed (omit for vegan option)
• 15g fresh basil, chopped (for garnishing)
• olive oil, for cooking

FOR THE CRISPY CAYENNE BACON:

• 300g streaky bacon (omit for vegan option, or replace with tempeh)
• 3 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika

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Instructions

1. First, roast the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Cut the whole pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds. Roast the pumpkin, on the middle rack, for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Use a fork to shred the pumpkin. Scoop out all the flesh and transfer to a large tupperware. We only need 2 cups of this mashed pumpkin. Allow to cool before freezing the rest. 
2. Roast the garlic and walnuts. On the top rack of the oven (while roasting the pumpkin on the middle rack), roast the garlic for 15 minutes. Towards the last 5-7 minutes, add the raw walnuts. Remove the roasted garlic and walnuts from the oven and continue roasting the pumpkin. 
3. If you can manage a third rack in the oven, grill the bacon on the bottom rack. This is optional. If you are vegan or vegetarian, skip this step or replace the bacon with tempeh, seasoned with the same ingredients but pan-fried in coconut oil. In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings. Lay the bacon on a rack above a foil-lined tray to catch all the drippings. Grill for 20 minutes at 20ºC. (Once the garlic and walnuts are roasted, you can move the bacon up to the top rack. Be sure not to let it burn!) 
4. In a pot of salted water, cook the pasta to al dente and set aside. Retain at least 2 cups of the pasta water.
5. In a large saucepan, add the mashed pumpkin and 1 cup of the pasta water (or more) to get a saucier consistency. Keep stirring. 
6. Add in the roasted garlic, cream, salt and paprika. Stir to combine. Turn the fire off. 
7. With an immersion blender, blitz up the mixture to create a smoother sauce. 
8. Toss in the pasta. Stir to make sure each strand is covered in this luscious, orange sauce. 
9. Serve in a bowl, topped with feta cheese (optional), roasted walnuts and basil. If you are vegan, you can replace the feta cheese with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese. 

Notes

I usually roast the pumpkin in advance and store it in the freezer for when I need it. This cuts down on prep time and makes this recipe a breeze. For my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie click here!

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: American