By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 2
175 cal · 5 min
Healthy Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta
Recipe GLPR22097926a9e4c4
A creamy, comforting pasta dish that combines tender whole grain shells with a velvety pumpkin and cream cheese sauce, enriched with smoky bacon and bright scallion garnish. This nutritious single-pan meal comes together in minutes and serves two.
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Ingredients
2 cups dry whole grain pasta shells
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 ounce light cream cheese
¼ cup fat-free evaporated milk
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon
¼ cup sliced scallions (green onions)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dry pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and return the cooked pasta to the same pot.
Place the pot over low heat. Add the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, evaporated milk, garlic, and salt to the pasta.
Stir constantly until the cream cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Divide the pasta between two serving bowls. Top each portion with half of the crumbled bacon and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
Comments
This is a real five-minute weeknight dish if you start with water already boiling; the sauce comes together while pasta cooks, and bacon can be pre-cooked or microwaved. Pumpkin purée and evaporated milk are stocked year-round at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart, and ALDI, with cream cheese and bacon universally available, keeping the cost around $6–7 for two servings—reasonable for a cream-based pasta. The main caveat is that this dish does not reheat well; the cream sauce separates on the second day, so plan for same-night eating. For a weeknight dinner that works with a Charlotte pantry and no special stops, it delivers, but the limited shelf-life and the slightly fussy texture of reheated cream sauce keep it from a higher mark.
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