This recipe is easily the best pasta of fall. We get creamy carbonara with a hint of pumpkin and lots of crispy bacon and cheese to coat each bite of orzo. The best part is the whole meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Simple Ingredients

Carbonara just sounds complicated; Trust me, it is so easy. All you need is a salty cured meat like bacon, pancetta, or the classic guanciale (Italian cured pork cheek). Guanciale is not easy to find so I went with bacon in my version. To make the base of the sauce we mix an egg and 1 egg yolk with lots of parmesan cheese and canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), super simple.

Ready in 20 Minutes

You can literally have this meal ready in under 20 minutes. It will require a little bit of multitasking but, what else are you going to do while you wait for the orzo to cook? While the orzo is cooking you will cook your bacon and make the sauce base. Save some pasta water before draining, you will need it to emulsify your carbonara sauce.

Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta

Orzo Pasta

Bacon

Pumpkin Puree

Eggs

Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Nutmeg

Reserved Pasta Water

How to Make Easy Pumpkin Carbonara Step by Step

STEP 1: Begin by chopping your bacon into small strips. Preheat a large pan to medium heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy.

STEP 2: While the bacon is cooking start a pot of water on high heat for the orzo. Once the water is boiling add a pinch of salt and the orzo pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Be sure to save 2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta.

STEP 3: In a medium size bowl mix the grated parmesan, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, pepper, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree.

STEP 4: Once your bacon is fully cooked and crispy, turn off the heat. Add in the egg mixture and stir for a moment add in a half cup of pasta water and stir until mixed. Add in the cooked orzo and another 1/2 cup of pasta water. If the carbonara is too thick you can add in more pasta water. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and black pepper and enjoy!

Notes for Success

Make sure to time the cooking times for everything accordingly because the dish comes together very quickly once the pasta is finished cooking. If you can try and save some of the pasta water. If you dump the water before saving it, you can use fresh warm water instead. If the texture of the carbonara is too thick add in the extra pasta water slowly until you reach your desired consistency.

Storage

You can store your easy pumpkin carbonara in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When reheating if needed add a little splash of water to get a creamy consistency.

Looking for more cozy dinner ideas? Here are some of my favorites~

Pumpkin and Pistachio Pasta in Browned Butter Sauce

Chicken meatballs and Orzo in Red Pepper Sauce

Sun-dried Tomato and Whipped Goat Cheese Gnocchi

If you make my Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and rating. I appreciate your support and feedback and I try my best to respond to each and every comment! Thank you!

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5 from 3 votes