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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.

overhead photo of Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon

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.

overhead photo of Butternut Squash and bacon before roasting

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.

overhead photo of Butternut Squash and Rosemary Bacon after bacon on sheet pan

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.

Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara in pot after tossing

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.

side angled close up photo of Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with 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.

overhead close up photo of Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

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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.
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Comments

  1. The recipe doesn’t specify whether or not to peel the squash, so my husband, who is making it right now, did not. Is that a missing step or will it get taken care of in the blender?

    Reply

    1. Hey Sarah,
      You will definitely not want to use the skin of this squash, you can peel it or just cut around the skin which is what I do. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I love anything butternut squash and was so excited to try this! The flavors were amazing, and the bacon was the perfect pasta topping! I followed some of the comments on switching from honey to maple syrup thought it was a great alternative. Thanks for posting this recipe :).

    Reply

  3. This was AMAZING! My 7 year old even said it was the best thing he has ever eaten 🙂 I did the butternut squash in my air fryer and it turned out well. We also topped with chives to add some more color.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Perfect fall flavors! I also had to cook my bacon longer, but my is much thicker cut than what you used. Also, I sopped up the seasoned oil/ bacon drippings left on the pan with some challah and it was the tastiest appetizer. My veggie avoiding husband and son ate this with no complaints! I think I will top with green onions next time.

    Reply

    1. Hey Debbie,
      Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner. Thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 4 stars
    I had to let the bacon and butternut squash sit in the oven for much much longer than the recipe stated, an extra 20 min or so. It *could* be that my oven is weak, but I compensated for that by setting it to 410 deg anyways! Weird! Next time i’ll have to chop up the squash into smaller cubes so it goes faster too. I liked the flavor at the end, but mine didn’t end up looking as smooth as it does in the pictures.

    Reply

    1. Hey Irene,
      Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry your bacon and squash took longer than expected. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Such a fantastic, rich dish. It was very simple to make but gave me something new to try regarding flavors and such. I’d make this for ANYONE!

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    So delicious!!!! I added the water a bit differently, 1 cup to the actual sauce and not to the pasta mixture. I’ll be making this often this season!

    Reply

    1. Hey Bethany,
      Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Wanda,
      Yes, pumpkin would be great here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Thanks for changing my Tuesday around! I added arugula at the end and gave it a stir and it was the perfect green addition with a little kick. I also used maple syrup instead of honey and was very happy with the result!

    Reply

    1. Hey Anne,
      Thanks a bunch for trying out this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Fabulous! My favorite part is the roasted, smashed squash. I think I’ll make the squash again as a side dish! Thanks for another great recipe T!

    Reply

      1. Do you put the 1 cup pasta water back in the pot with your pasta before tossing with the egg/cheese? Or when do you use that 1 cup pasta water that you took out?

        Reply

        1. Hey Kim,
          You can slowly add that water as needed when tossing the pasta to help thin out the sauce. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

          Reply

  13. 4 stars
    The flavor of this is delicious. The perfect fall pasta but…. It came out SO thick. I used all the pasta water, butter, some bacon grease and some extra tap water and it still was a clumpy, albeit delicious, mess.

    Reply

    1. Hey Madye,
      Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! The bacon grease could have made it extra thick. xTieghan

      Reply

  14. This was a wonderful Sunday family dinner. We roasted the bacon/squash combo on our Traeger. I brushed the bacon with maple syrup instead of honey. Next time I’ll grab the chili infused honey from Trader Joe’s!

    Reply