Peel and dice the 700 g pumpkin into small, even pieces.

Heat the 30 ml olive oil in the frying pan; sauté the garlic, chili pepper, and parsley for 1 minute.

Add the diced pumpkin and stir to coat it in the flavored oil.

Remove the garlic and add 600 ml water; simmer until the pumpkin is very tender, about 15 minutes.

Bring the remaining water to a boil in the pot and salt it lightly.

Transfer the cooked pumpkin to the blender; add salt, 15 ml olive oil, and 100 ml pasta cooking water.

Blend the pumpkin mixture until completely smooth and creamy.

Cook the 500 g mezzi paccheri in the boiling water until just al dente; reserve 300 ml pasta cooking water before draining.

Add the speck to the same frying pan and cook until crisp.

Set aside half of the crisp speck for garnish; keep the remaining speck in the pan.

Add the pumpkin cream to the frying pan and loosen it with the reserved pasta cooking water.

Add the drained pasta and toss until the sauce coats every piece.

Turn off the heat and fold in 180 g buffalo stracciatella until lightly melted.

Crumble the Neapolitan tarallo into coarse crumbs.

Divide the pasta among four plates and top with the remaining stracciatella, reserved speck, and tarallo crumbs.