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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
So delicious! Will make this again. I puréed some pasta water with the butternut squash mixture and got a great consistency to add to the carbonara sauce. Thanks for the great Fall flavors in this one!
Hey Brittany,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! I agree with some other reviews that you may need more than 1 cup of pasta water for thinning. Ours thickened up a lot!
Hey Alyssa,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
I am temporarily and unfortunately dairy-free, but this looks AMAZING and I’m going to try it out. I can sub the salted butter with non-dairy butter, but I’m wondering what I could use instead of the Parmesan. If anyone has any tips, please post them!
Hey Lindsay,
I would try using a dairy free cheese. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Would this work without the squash?
Hey Kelly,
I would recommend trying one of my other carbonara recipes:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/?s=carbonara
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yummy & savory dish. Came out just like the picture. Everyone loved it.
Hey Julia,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is UNREAL!! I made it as a celebratory dinner for my husband for a military accomplishment. He deserved a fantastic dinner and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for. It was fun to make and a “repeater”, for sure!
Hey Amy,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious! Needed a lot of pasta water to loosen it up so don’t forget to save some!
I was making it for 2 so I just made half the pasta, egg, and cheese, and saved half the butternut squash puree and half the bacon to make again tomorrow. ??
Hey Steph,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing but I am on my own. Is it possible to halve the recipe or should I just wait until someone comes for dinner to try it out? Thanks
Hey Desiree,
Totally fine to cut this recipe in half. I hope you love the dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I did it with sage instead of rosemary and it was delicious!!!!
Hey Gloriana,
So great to hear! Love that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Have a great week? xTieghan
This is so delicious I’ve made it multiple times now! Thanks for an easy recipe that knocks socks off!
Hey Paris,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! xTieghan
I followed every step and the end product wasn’t as good as expected. Squash is not the best choice to make into sauce. However, rubbing bacon with rosemary and baking with honey makes it smell great. Wouldn’t recommend people to make this dish.
Hey there,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
So good! I warmed the honey, mixed with chopped rosemary and cayenne, and brushed over bacon-drizzling the remains over everything. Delicious!
Hey Tina,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it. Happy Sunday! ☀️Tieghan
I was very excited for this recipe and prepared exactly to specifications. It came out absolutely terrible. Huge waste of time and effort. So upset.
Hey Susannah,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Our family absolutely loved this last evening. I had been looking at this recipe for weeks. So fantastic….
Hey Michelle,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan
THIS WAS DELICIOUS. Ive been wanting to make this for weeks, possibly months and finally did it and it’s my favorite recipe EVER. For those who are saying the egg mixture didn’t come out to be smooth consistency, I cooled down my pasta about 15 min by draining the pasta and removing from the stove. I cooled it to the point where my drained pasta was lukewarm-almost cool. Then I put the pasta back on the stove and as the stove was heating up I mixed the egg and parm mixture. Then added hot squash mixture. Came out perfect! I did have to add more time and raise the temp to 415 to cook butternut squash and bacon. I ended up broiling bacon after I took out the squash. But make sure you watch closely to make sure they dont burn!
I hope this helps:)
Hey Nicole,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan