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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
Simple. Decadent. One of our favorite meals in months. We added some sautéed chicken sausage for extra protein and used GF spinach linguini noodle; I also added the sage (one of my fall/winter favorite herbs) that is suggested above. SO GOOD. AND, don’t be afraid to get the pre-cut squash from the grocery store! I’m always afraid I’ll cut a finger off when I’m cutting squash. INCREDIBLE recipe.
Amazing! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Dawn! Thank you! xTieghan
This was exceptional! I had to cook my extra-thick-cut bacon a little longer to get crispy while I blended the squash, but otherwise I prepared it as written. So delicious! I will definitely make it again. Genius to cook the bacon on top of the squash.
Thank you so much Rachel! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Delish!
Thank you Daniele! xTieghan
This was a challenge for me, as I have never made a carbonara sauce before, but your directions were spot-on and easy to follow! The flavor was so complex and subtle, with a little smokiness and heat–just perfect! I am a new fan of this pasta and this recipe. Took leftovers to work and my co-worker RAVED about this dish! Thank you for a delicious challenge!
Thank you Jen!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I LOVED this recipe! I’d been wanting to make it since it came out but my small grocer didn’t have butternut squash yet. They finally did (only cubed which, while pricier, made this even easier) and it’s a new favorite. My boyfriend was blown away with every bite. And so was I! I definitely got ahead of myself making the pasta too early so I felt like the noodles sat in the egg sauce too long while I was cooking/pureeing the squash but even with my missteps it was still really good. Can’t wait to perfect it next time.
Hi Meg! I am so happy you both loved this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it!! xTieghan
This recipe was AMAZING. I have pretty much exclusively made your recipes in 2020, and I think this might be my favorite. The bacon is to die for, and I would even make that as its own item. My sauce didn’t look as smooth as the photos, but I didn’t find it to be too thick either. The recipe also made a LOT of pasta and we have plenty of leftovers for 2 people! Looking forward to eating those up this week! The BEST fall recipe out there!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Jenna! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!!! Such a perfect fall recipe with so much flavor. I used tagliatelle and can’t wait to eat my leftovers for lunch!
Hi Erin! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
can the butternut squash puree / sauce be made in advance (night before, or morning of?) please advise! this looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Hey Sarah,
Yes you can make the butternut squash puree in advance! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight using delicata squash from my CSA share. It was delicious! I loved the addition of the rosemary and cayenne! I left out the thyme since I didn’t have any. I will definitely make this again!
Love that! Thank you so much Jenn! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was my first HBH recipe I’ve made and I couldn’t be happier with the results! My husband called it the best meal I’ve ever made! Thanks Tieghan!
Wow that is so amazing! I am really glad you both enjoyed this one, Alexis! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I love Carbonara but haven’t made it yet because I’m afraid to mess it up. However, I am going to have try this recipe.
Thank you so much Sandy! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have a question Tieghan! I want to make this recipe but I cook for just myself haha
I was wondering how this is for leftovers! Thanks!
Hey Meghan,
Unfortunately carbonara is not the best to have leftover because of the egg factor, but you could halve the recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you freeze the butternut squash mixture once made?
Hey Vicki,
Yes, that would be okay to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this tonight and we finished dinner about an hour ago. And every few minutes either me me my husband say “oh wow man that pasta was sooo good!” I think at this point it’s been said 20 times. THIS IS SO GOOD! 10/10 recommend.
Wow that is so amazing! Thank you for trying this one, Olga! xTieghan
Wow. Made this tonight and my husband and I savored EVERY BITE. So good, tastes like I’d get it at a farm to table restaurant on the seasonal menu. Super pleased. It was easy to make as well.
Wow yes! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you, Natalie! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan