Description
A warming autumn pasta where a velvety pumpkin-cream sauce hugs spaghetti, studded with sautéed mushrooms and finished with crunchy bacon. Comfort food that’s elegant enough for guests and easy enough for weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz spaghetti (regular, whole wheat, or GF)
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil (only if the pan needs it)
- 2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced (cremini or button)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus extra for serving)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just al dente according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out and set aside ½ cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it reaches the level of crispness you like. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain and, when cool, crumble or chop into bite-size pieces.
- Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving roughly 1 tablespoon in the pan. If the skillet looks dry, add the olive oil.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat until they release their liquid and turn golden brown, about 5–7 minutes. Give the pan space — overcrowding prevents proper browning.
- Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée, thyme, smoked paprika, nutmeg (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Heat the mixture so the pumpkin warms through.
- Pour in the cream and sprinkle in the Parmesan. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened, 2–3 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat the noodles in the pumpkin-mushroom sauce. Use additional pasta water as needed to reach a silky consistency that clings to the pasta.
- Serve immediately topped with the crispy bacon, a scatter of chopped parsley, and extra grated Parmesan.
Notes
- Notes & Variations
- Vegetarian option: skip the bacon and add toasted walnuts, roasted chickpeas, or fried shallots for crunch.
- Dairy-free: use a plant-based cream alternative and a vegan Parmesan substitute.
- Make-ahead: prepare the pumpkin-mushroom sauce in advance and refrigerate; rewarm gently and toss with freshly cooked pasta when ready to serve.
- Swap-ins: try whole wheat spaghetti, fettuccine, or even roasted fall spaghetti squash strands for a lighter twist.
- Storage
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce. The sauce freezes well on its own for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.