Pumpkin Pasta

It’s 2020. It’s cold outside. It’s dark at 7:00pm. It’s election night. Comfort food is a must. Don’t forget to save your pumpkin seeds for roasting!

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 Baking pumpkin
• 6oz butter
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup pasta water
• 1 box of pasta
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried sage

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375*
• Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy bits
• Place skin side out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for one hour [can use canned pumpkin and skip these steps!]
• Rough chop bacon and cook in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from pan when done
• Add onion and garlic to bacon grease and cook until translucent
• Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as directed
• Melt 6oz. of butter in the pan with onion and garlic. Brown the butter by cooking on medium heat and stirring consistently
• Scoop pumpkin into pan on low heat. Mash using a potato masher
• Pour in cream and seasoning, stir to combine
• Turn off heat, stir in pasta water and drain pasta
• Top pasta with sauce and garnish with bacon