My Chef-Husband’s Pumpkin Carbonara Recipe Went Viral—Here’s Why

Fall means one thing to my chef-husband, Luke, and one thing only: football. To me, it means his pumpkin carbonara pasta that’s developed somewhat of a cult following in town. A few years ago, he put this delicious fall dish on the menu at his New Canaan, CT, restaurant, Elm, and it was an instant hit.

Even Thrillist got wind of this brilliant fall dish and filmed a how-to video of Luke making it, which only added to its viral appeal and in-demand nature over at Elm. He had to make it a secret menu item just so the kitchen doesn’t get backed up once sweater weather commences.

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Not only is it my favorite of all of his pastas, and believe me, I have many loves, but it’s #1 among my friends. Some of them will even travel to Connecticut just to indulge in this dish once a year. (I’m looking at you, Jen.)

Thanks to its creamy pumpkin flavor, carbonara-style egg yolk on top and the addition of a glorious little ingredient he makes called cracked black pepper oil, it’s a recipe homerun. Here’s how he makes it at home—and in his restaurant.

Ingredients for the Best-Ever Pumpkin Carbonara

To recreate Luke’s pumpkin pasta at home, you’ll need fresh or dried spaghetti, unsalted butter, a bunch of fresh sage, country ham or prosciutto, one egg yolk (bonus points if it’s farm fresh egg), Parmesan cheese, pumpkin puree (Luke makes his own at the restaurant but you can always go the canned route) and cracked black pepper oil. The pepper oil is the secret sauce—whatever you do, you don’t want to skip the umami-bomb finisher. 

How to Make My Chef-Husband’s Pumpkin Carbonara

The first thing Luke does is get to work on his homemade pumpkin puree. He cuts a pumpkin lengthwise (although he says you could also use a butternut squash) and removes the seeds. Then he places the halves cut-side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roasts them for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Once the pumpkins are soft, he removes them from the oven to cool before separating the pulp from the skins and discarding the skin. Hhe purees the pulp with a little water and a couple of pieces of butter until it’s silky smooth. If your puree is too thick, add a little more water and blitz it again. I could literally lick this off a spoon it’s so good and we haven’t even gotten to the pasta yet. 

For the black pepper oil, he places a dry skillet over medium heat and tosses in a few handfuls of whole black peppercorns. He lets them hang out until they’re nice and fragrant and a few start to pop before he whips out a mortar and pestle to grind the still-warm peppercorns until they’re medium coarse. Moving them over to a bowl, he pours in extra virgin olive oil until the peppercorns are suspended on top and sets this aside. 

Once the pumpkin puree and black pepper oil are good to go, he sets a large pot of unsalted water over high heat and cooks his spaghetti until it’s al dente. 

Then, working quickly, he adds a few pats of butter to the same skillet, along with the thinly sliced sage. He browns the butter and sage together and adds the spaghetti directly from the water to the brown butter. In goes a cup of his pumpkin puree and the chopped ham. He gives this a good glaze, tossing the spaghetti in the sauce for a few minutes with that pro chef flick of the wrist I can never pull off but love to watch. 

As he goes to plate his pasta, he sprinkles a small mountain of grated Parmesan over the top and garnishes with the dish with the egg yolk. Then he drizzles a generous amount of cracked black pepper oil over the pasta and that, friends, is how his pumpkin carbonara comes to life. 

My Honest Thoughts About My Chef-Husband’s Pumpkin Carbonara

This pasta is one of Luke’s greatest recipe hits. I start craving it once the weather turns brisk and honestly, before that. And I’m not the only one. Starting around September 1, restaurant regulars start sliding into Elm’s DMs, asking when the dish will be back on the menu. 

Even pumpkin haters would be instant fans after one bite. It’s creamy, smoky, peppery and velvety—all the things a fall pasta should be. It’s also extremely hard for me not to order another bowl after devouring the first. 

Although pumpkin carbonara is a *bit* of a labor-intensive dish and requires some finesse to execute, it’s so worth it the effort. While cheating with store-bought pumpkin shaves off some time, I truly think homemade pumpkin puree is the way to go here. So your pasta tastes—and looks—as good as Luke’s. One bite and you’ll see why.

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