Recipe Background
Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake takes the idea of a classic pasta bake and adds a sprinkling of fall festivity into each bite! Instead of tomatoes, Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake uses a pumpkin base for its rich, savory sauce, with notes of sage for a true holiday flavor. Seared chicken, crispy bacon, tender pasta; everything gets enhanced when coated in this pumpkin powerhouse and topped with some cheese. Falling head over heels for this bake is as easy as enjoying it!
Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake takes the idea of a classic pasta bake and adds a sprinkling of fall festivity into each bite! Instead of tomatoes, Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake uses a pumpkin base for its rich, savory sauce, with notes of sage for a true holiday flavor. Seared chicken, crispy bacon, tender pasta; everything gets enhanced when coated in this pumpkin powerhouse and topped with some cheese. Falling head over heels for this bake is as easy as enjoying it!
Ingredients
For the pumpkin sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion cut into thin slices
- white wine optional, to taste
- 1 clove garlic
- 18 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sage rubbed
- nutmeg freshly grated, to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
For the pasta:
- 1 pound pasta uncooked
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- bacon to taste, cooked, and crumbled
- 1 cup mozzarella divided
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- parsley optional, for topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, heat the butter until melted.
- Add the onion to the melted butter and cook until the onions are caramelized and deep-golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
- Add the white wine to the onion mixture and stir to combine.
- In a blender, add the garlic, the pumpkin, the chicken broth, the milk, the olive oil, the salt, the sage, the nutmeg, and the pepper and puree until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the caramelized onions in the pan and cook until heated through.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions to just shy of al dente. Drain the pasta.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken from the water and allow it to cool until it can be handled.
- Shred the chicken.
- Toss the cooked pasta, the chicken, and the bacon with the pumpkin sauce and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top the mixture with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan.
- Cover the baking dish with greased foil and bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
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