Creamy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pasta with Bacon

Prep Tip: I like to cook the pasta while the sauce simmers so it’s ready to toss together seamlessly once the pasta’s done. If cooking ahead, toss pasta with a little olive oil (as mentioned) to prevent clumping and reserve pasta water separately to loosen the sauce if needed.

Texture Tip: Canned pumpkin purée can vary in thickness depending on the brand. Adjust the sauce consistency as needed with a little pasta water or extra cream to reach your desired texture.

For a vegetarian version: Skip the bacon and use plant-based or regular butter for sautéing the aromatics. The smoked paprika will help add depth. For the topping, swap the bacon crumbles for roasted and salted walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds for a similar crunch.

For a dairy-free version: Do not blend the Parmesan into the sauce. Instead, keep it separate and let anyone who eats dairy add it as a topping at the end for extra cheesy flavor. Alternatively, if you prefer the cheesy flavor, swap the Parmesan in the sauce for nutritional yeast.

Make-Ahead & Storage: Sauce can be made 1–2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream. Leftover pasta keeps up to 3 days; reheat with a little liquid. Sauce alone can be frozen up to 2 months—thaw overnight and reheat before tossing with fresh pasta. plash of broth or cream.