Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta

This Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta recipe. With creamy carbonara with a hint of pumpkin and lots of crispy bacon and cheese to coat each bite of orzo. The best part is that the whole meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta

All you need is a salty cured meat like bacon, pancetta, or the classic guanciale (Italian cured pork cheek). 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. You can literally have this meal ready in under 20 minutes. 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

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 to 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.
• 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?

• 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 recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or TikTok! I love seeing the recipes you make!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Easy Pumpkin Carbonara with Orzo Pasta

Creamy carbonara with a hint of pumpkin sauce coats each little orzo pasta. This recipe is so simple and comes together in less than 20 minutes. You will want to make this amazing, easy pumpkin carbonara every night of the week.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Author: Jennifer Struss

Ingredients

• 1½ cup Dry Orzo Pasta
• 4 Slices Bacon
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
• 1 Whole Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups Reserved Pasta Water

Instructions

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

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.