That is possibly the most fun blog post title I’ve ever written, except maybe last week’s PSA: IT IS TIME TO MAKE THE EGGNOG. By the way, you can still make eggnog, you just need to wait long enough for the germs to die. Go check it out and get cracking!

One of my favorite things about working from home or in our studio, where we have a commercial kitchen, is that I can make a hot lunch for myself. I eat leftovers when there are leftovers, to be sure. But I love the opportunity to scramble myself a few eggs, throw together a fresh salad or, sometimes, make myself a decadent pasta.

Like this one.

Between the big old hunks of bacon, the pumpkin and the Parmesan, this is quite the luxurious little pasta.

It is, in fact, one of my work-from-home lunches. My favorite thing to do is use pumpkin that I roasted myself. It’s so different from the canned stuff!

You can also mix up the bacon – it could be guanciale or pancetta, too. Our local shop does a good deal on bacon ends – the oddly-shaped bits that are trimmed off before the bacon is cut into pretty slices. Those chop up just fine for anytime you don’t need the bacon to be in slice format.

It must be the season, but decadent, savory dishes like this are calling to me right now. I might just have to make this again soon!

Ingredients

• 6 oz dry pasta, such as penne
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon (or guanciale, etc.)
• 2 cups fresh kale, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a skillet. Set aside in a small container, and add some oil to the bacon grease in the pan. Cook the kale until wilted.
3. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the saucepan over medium heat. Stir the pumpkin, cream cheese, cheddar and Parmesan together into the noodles, melting all the cheeses together. When the sauce is thoroughly melted and mixed, stir in the kale and bacon.
4. Garnish with tons of black pepper, salt to taste and extra Parmesan on top.