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The simplest, coziest bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon. Best for nights when you’re craving Italian, but also craving cozy fall flavors. Seasonal autumn butternut squash, roasted with fresh herbs, and garlic, all pureed into a creamy carbonara sauce that’s vibrant and so delicious! Finish off this pasta with crispy, spicy rosemary bacon for an autumn dinner that’s mouth-wateringly delicious. This is a great fall pasta to serve any night of the week, or for your next Saturday night dinner with friends.
And here we go. The first butternut squash recipe of the season. I’m thinking from today on it’s all things fall here on HBH. Ok, I know I’ve already been heavy on the fall recipes for about the last week (see these cinnamon spiced apple fritters and cheesy cauliflower). But this dish feels very fall with the roasted squash and crispy rosemary bacon.
Officially we still have 5 more days of summer. But I’m ready to jump ahead now, and this pasta needs to be shared sooner rather than later. It’s just really darn good, oh so creamy, and infused with autumn flavors. The perfect bowl to welcome in the upcoming crisp fall days.
Did I sell you yet? Did I mention the creaminess? The cheesiness? That crispy, spicy, almost “candied” rosemary bacon?
Yummmm, this pasta is a bowl full of all the good things in life…cheesy, but true.
Moving on to the details.
I kept this as simple as can be. While making sure to keep all the flavor in this bowl of creamy autumn carbonara.
The heart of the pasta is really all in the butternut squash and bacon. The secret? Roasting both the squash and bacon together on the same sheet pan. As the squash roasts, the bacon cooks down overtop. The squash adds just adds that much more flavor to the already delicious butternut squash.
First, toss the squash with lots of fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. You could also add sage, but I didn’t want any of the flavors to be too overpowering, so I stuck with thyme.
For the bacon, you’ll want to rub it with fresh chopped rosemary, then a little cayenne pepper, and finish it off with honey. The honey helps to balance the heat from the cayenne and makes this more of a herby, spicy, “candied” bacon. LOVE the sweet and spicy combination with the savory autumn squash.
As the bacon cooks, the flavor from the bacon drips down over the squash infusing everything with incredible flavor. A little spiciness, a little sweetness, and a touch of smokiness.
So delicious.
Of course, if you don’t eat meat, you can easily omit the bacon to make this a vegetarian pasta. Just add the rosemary and cayenne to the squash instead.
While the squash and bacon are roasting, whisk the eggs with parmesan. If you’ve never made a carbonara pasta, it’s a classic Italian pasta dish. It’s unique in that it uses raw eggs. Tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese creates a delicious sauce. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce. It’s melt in your mouth good.
Once the squash has finished roasting, puree it into a smooth puree. You can do this in a food processor or blender. Now, bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in the pasta. I like to use linguine, but any pasta cut works well, so use your personal favorite.
As soon as the pasta has finished cooking, immediately toss it with the eggs. This step is really important, but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce has thickened, toss in the squash puree.
Then serve topped with that extra crispy rosemary bacon.
To sum things up…
This is such a warming fall pasta that’s hearty too. It’s made just a little healthier with the butternut squash replacing extra cream and butter. Every twirl of pasta is creamy, silky, and laced with rich, warming fall flavors. The sauce is herby, savory, and just the creamiest. And the bacon adds a spicy, sweet crunch…like topping on a cake.
All together this dish is beyond good…think roll your eye back, go for that second serving…good.
And lastly, this is such a nice switch up from the classic carbonara pasta. Great for any upcoming dinner at home with family or friends. Or just a really good Thursday night meal that we can all look forward to.
Looking for other butternut squash recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
Creamy Broccoli and Butternut Squash Soup with Cheddar Brie Pastries
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Hasselback Butternut Squash with Sage Butter and Prosciutto Breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make these Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 493 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 small squash)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 pound dry linguine pasta
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, butternut squash, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. On a plate, rub the bacon with rosemary and cayenne, drizzle with honey. Lay the bacon over top. 2. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes, flip the bacon and bake another 5-8 minutes, until the bacon is crisp, watch closely. Remove the bacon. If squash needs more time, return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender.3. Transfer the squash and garlic to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Roughly chop the bacon, reserve for topping. 4. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and parmesan. 5. Boil the pasta until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and add the pasta back to the hot pot. Immediately add the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. Add the butternut squash puree, and the butter, tossing to combine. Thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.6. Divide the pasta between plates. Top with bacon. Twirl the pasta up…EAT and ENJOY.
This post was originally published on September 17, 2020
I wonder if I could do it with Hokkaido and not with butternut squash. Also, I have difficulties to find fresh thyme, could dry thyme or fresh rosemary be an option?
Hey Valeria,
Sure Hokkaido would work and then rosemary would be great and same with dried thyme! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan
Made this tonight and loved it! The butternut squash purée in this is absolutely amazing because it’s a little sweet, yet you get a kick from the cayenne. I honestly could eat that on its own, but it creates a really nice thick sauce in the carbonara which added to the cheesiness of the dish!
Thank you so much Natalie! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Quick question can I use frozen cubes of butternut squash or is the roasting essential to this recipe?
Hey Gabrielle,
Frozen squash would be okay to use! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan
This was the best pasta carbonara we have ever had! What a great recipe! You are so thoughtful with your food – another great recipe! Thank you!!!
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you Megan! xTieghan
So easy and so yummy the bacon is the secret ingredient!
Thank you Joanie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
If I wanted to make this low carb, would using spaghetti squash work as a noodle replacement?
Hey Carolyn,
Yes that would be great! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan
Yummy enjoyed it!
Thank you Becky! xTieghan
Ooooo, yah. I did some substitution-ing 🙂 because of covid, ex: chopped shallots for garlic, smoked pork belly for bacon and such as…. This meal was CRAZY GOOD. Thank you so much for the idea! You rock!!
Thank you so much Linda! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have read this recipe half a dozen times, it really is autumn in a bowl. I made it at my sister’s house and she ate it!! That in itself is a small miracle because she is a hater of all veggies.
I adore anything carbonara, and the addition of butternut squash makes me so happy, I added some of the last of my garden spinach and some roasted spicy pecans for crunch! I will make this all winter <3 love it!
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Emily! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Amazing! Made it vegetarian and it was fantastic. So creamy and filling, great for a fall week night.
Thank you so much Helen!! xTieghan
I made this and it tasted good but I could have used 1/2 the amount of pasta and I think it would have made the sauce come out a bit thicker than it did. Next time, I will use 8 ounces of pasta and see how it comes out!
Thank you Elisa! I am so glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good! The rosemary bacon was amazing – such a great addition to a dish like this. I definitely will be making again this fall/winter. Thanks Tieghan!
Thank you Courtney!! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was SO AMAZING!!!! It’s definitely a keeper and has so much flavor. Thank you!!!
P.S. I’m sorry to see that some people post rude comments. I hope you know it has nothing to do with you. 🙂
Thank you Maggie! I am really happy you loved this one and thank you for being so kind! xTieghan
Made this recipe tonight and it was amazing. I came across your IG and website at the beginning of Covid and anytime I am looking for a new recipe I either open your book or come here! Anyways, this one was phenomenal I lived in Italy for 6 years, and this easily ranks up there as one of the best pastas I’ve ever had. ! I ended up substituting the cayenne for chipotle powder on the bacon because I was out of the cayenne. I also think the butternut puree would be a tasty sauce just by itself and I think I will try that with some ravioli!
Ok wow that is so amazing to hear! Where do you live in Italy?! Do you love it? I have always wanted to go there! I am really glad you loved this recipe and I hope you continue to love others of mine! Thank you! xTieghan
Omg this was amazing. My whole family including kids loved it.
Thank you so much Betty! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan