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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
This dish was so good. 5 stars from both my husband and I. It was a perfect combination of sweet, spicy and savory. This dish was outside of my comfort zone as I’ve never made carbonara and don’t eat much pasta but your instagram made me want to try it and I am very glad I did. Thank you!
I am so happy you gave this a try and it turned out so well for you, Kim! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I love your recipes so much and always look forward to your new content. This fall take on a carbonara is INCREDIBLE. I cooked my bacon in a pan after it was in the oven because it would t quite crisp up for me, but it was lovely. Thank you so much for creating such delicious recipes!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Cameron! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This recipe was so delicious it was even approved by my squash loathing husband, ha! I loved the subtle flavors that didn’t overpower the squash and the kick from the cayenne (though I definitely didn’t measure my cayenne and might’ve added a bit extra). My only issue/frustration was I could not get the mixture creamy! I tried adding all of the pasta water I had saved but it still ended up goopy. Maybe my squash wasn’t ripe enough? Maybe I accidentally cooked the eggs when I added them? Any tips for next time I make it?
Hey Jess,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am sorry yours was not creamy. I am guessing you may have cooked the eggs. I think it is key to add the pasta to the pan, then the eggs, and then stir really well. This will help to avoid cooking the eggs which creates the creaminess in this dish. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
This was sooooooo good!!!! Loved everything about it
Thank you so much Jennifer! xTieghan
Had some trouble with consistency, not sure if my pot was too hot, too much squash, or what. BUT it was delicious. I think I’ll convert the rest into a casserole and bake it (With more cheese and breadcrumbs) since it is extra gloopy.
I am really glad it tasted good! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Hey Teigen! think I could use procuitto in place of bacon for this one? excited to try this one 😉
thanks in advance!
Hey Alycia,
Prosciutto would be great to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night. It was so good! We love your recipes!!
Thank you Beckie! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This was so good! I’m not a good cook but this was easy enough to do. Thanks for the indulgent recipe!
Thank you for trying this! I am so happy it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
What do suggest as a replacement for the bacon (to make it vegetarian)?
Hey Julia,
I think mushrooms would work well in place of the bacon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could frozen cubed butternut squash do the trick? Because peeling and cutting butternut has always been my nemesis 😉
Hey Karly,
Yes, totally fine to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! I even used chick pea pasta and vegetarian bacon and you wouldn’t know the difference. Rich, creamy and hearty, this is a perfect fall recipe. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s always trust Half Baked Harvest recipes! Love you T!
You are too sweet! I am really glad you have been enjoying my recipes and I hope you continue to! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD! I used turkey bacon and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan simply because i didn’t have it, and it still came out the perfect. The butternut squash makes this smooth and the honey on the bacon is a fun bite. I use the blog every week for dinner ideas and i am never disappointed.
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Alexandra! And love that you used nutritional yeast! Thank you! xTieghan
I do have to say I was somewhat skeptical about this recipe but then I remembered that if there is one thing that’s consistent with your cooking is that there’s always a WOW factor and boy am I glad I decided to try this last night! My father, who’s super picky, was also very pleasantly surprised at how tasty this was…so unusual for me yet so fun/easy to make.
Thanks so much!!! Looking forward to the next one 🙂
Yes!! I am so happy this turned out so well for you both, Lola! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was so so so good! Making it for the second week in a row!
Love to hear that!! Thank you for trying this Darcy! xTieghan
I had not made any “Wow!” dishes in a while but this one will give you your cooking groove back! From the lovely honey addition to the bacon topping to the amazingly delicious sauce, this dish is perfection! Also, the squash gives it such a beautiful fall color! My teens loved it too! Going to go browse your site for another “Wow!” dish.
I am so happy to hear that, Susan! Thank you so much for trying this recipe!! xTieghan