Who doesn’t love a one-pot dinner? It doesn’t get any better than being able to throw everything into a pot and 10 minutes later you have a super creamy, delicious pasta. The best part – it’s healthy! This creamy one-pot pumpkin pasta actually has no cream, and trust me, you can’t even tell. It comes together in just 30 minutes, all in one pot and is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin. It’s a dish the whole family will enjoy, not just for dinner but the leftovers as well.
In 2022 I’m all about easy, healthy food that tastes delicious. Also, there’s nothing worse than slaving away in the kitchen, only to be left with piles and piles of dirty dishes to clean.
I will admit, during Covid last year it was much harder to stick to a healthy diet. Motivation was lacking and temptation to order in was strong. But this year expect to see a lot more healthier options on the blog. I want to focus on using fresh ingredients and less packaged food, without compromising any flavour of course. Enter this super-simple one-pot pumpkin pasta.
Don’t be fooled by how easy this pasta is… it’s jam-packed with plenty of flavour.
We begin by frying off the bacon. Now I know I said this was healthy, and this is totally optional, but pumpkin and bacon complement each other so well I just couldn’t leave it out. Once the bacon is nice and crispy, remove it from the pot and place on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease. Then add the onion and pumpkin to the pot on medium heat. Let these sweat out a bit first so they get a head start on cooking.
The rest is simple. Throw in the garlic, herbs, stock, milk and of course the pasta. Any short-cut pasta is fine. I like to use rigatoni or penne. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and pop the lid on for about 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and let the pasta simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy and the pasta is al dente. Finally, stir through the parmesan, cooked bacon and rocket and that’s it!
Serve this up while it’s warm and every bowl at the table will come back clean. It really is that good.
It’s an easy, flavourful pasta that could not be better for a busy night. An added bonus – the leftovers are great warmed up the following day for lunch.
More tasty pasta dishes:
- Creamy Lemon Tortellini with Crispy Prosciutto
- Spicy Chorizo Carbonara
- Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Alla Vodka Pasta
- Baked Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Simple Butter Garlic and Mushroom Pasta
- 15-Minute Creamy Ramen Carbonara
If you give this Healthier One-Pot Pumpkin Pasta a try, be sure to let me know what you think. I love to hear from you guys!
HEALTHIER ONE-POT PUMPKIN PASTA
Course: DinnerDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesA creamy one-pot dish that’s a little healthier but super delicious.
Ingredients
500g short-cut pasta
4 rashers shortcut bacon
1/2 butternut squash, cubbed
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
large handful baby rocket (arugula)
Directions
- In a large pot, fry off the bacon until crispy and set aside on some paper towel.
- To the same pot, add a splash of oil along with the diced onion and pumpkin. Cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic, oregano, stock, milk and pasta and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer place the lid on. After about 5 minutes remove the lid, give it a stir and continue to simmer with the lid off until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir through the parmesan, cooked bacon and a handful of fresh rocket. Serve with more fresh rocket on top.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
