Recipe: Creamy spaghetti with roasted pumpkin and bacon

Cologne (dpa) – Autumn might be here, but has it brought its vibrant yellows and oranges into your kitchen? What better way to start than with a pumpkin. The easiest way to cook it is in the oven. And while it's hot, we're also going to roast an entire bulb of garlic. This removes its sharpness and gives it a light caramel flavour, creating the perfect sauce for pasta. The bacon not only adds a strong umami kick to the dish but also a slight crunch — a nice contrast to the soft spaghetti and the almost creamy pumpkin. If you want a bit more texture, the homemade roasted pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch. And for those longing for a touch of summer, finely chopped spring onions bring a fresh note to the dish. Ingredients for 4 servings of pasta with garlic, pumpkin and bacon 1 large bulb of garlic 4 tbsp olive oil 1 Hokkaido pumpkin (approx. 1.2 kg) 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder Salt Pepper 100 g bacon (slices) 400 g spaghetti 2 spring onions (optional) Preparation Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Halve the garlic bulb crosswise, drizzle with a little olive oil, and wrap it tightly in baking paper. Place it in a large baking dish and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until the garlic is soft and lightly browned. Halve the pumpkin, remove the seeds and fibrous flesh. Rinse the seeds thoroughly under warm water until they are no longer slimy, and dry them well (ideally, let them air-dry overnight for extra crispiness). Mix 1 tbsp olive oil with 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, salt, and pepper – make sure the seeds are coated in this marinade. Spread the seeds in the baking dish next to the garlic, ensuring they are spaced apart, and roast for about 12–15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes (approx. 2 cm) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Lay the bacon slices crosswise on an oven rack. Place the baking dish on the lower rack of the oven if the pumpkin seeds and garlic are not yet done; otherwise, remove them and set aside. Place the pumpkin on the middle rack and the bacon on the rack above it. Bake both for about 8–10 minutes until the bacon is crispy and golden brown and the pumpkin is tender. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti al dente in lightly salted water according to the package instructions. Prep the spring onions by washing and drying them, trimming the roots and dark green parts, and slicing them into thin rings. Scoop the roasted garlic out of its skin into a large pot. Mash it finely with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Add a ladle of pasta water and 1 tbsp olive oil, then stir to combine. Add the drained spaghetti to the garlic mixture and mix well. Break the bacon into small pieces and gently fold it in along with half of the pumpkin cubes. Serve the dish on plates, distributing the remaining pumpkin cubes on or next to the spaghetti. Garnish with spring onions and roasted pumpkin seeds as desired. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn ueh yyzz n1 xlt cwg sw coh

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