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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. Hi Lori,
      Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xx

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I made this dish exactly a year ago and my boyfriend is still raving about it! I’m going to make it again this weekend. I added turkey meatballs to it for extra protein. I also made the cranberry Brie pull apart bread for dessert the same night. So delicious!

    Reply

  3. This was absolutely delicious. This was my first HBH dish and I will definitely search out more recipes to try! The honey rosemary bacon was definitely a huge compliment to the creamy butternut squash sauce; I don’t eat much dairy, so I loved how creamy this was without the use of cream. The only thing I had do do was add some stock to the squash as I was blending it as it was way too thick (the pasta was still cooking, so I didn’t want to take away the water) but no complaints about that. Thank you! Can’t wait to try more!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jennifer,
      Thanks so much for your kind message and giving this recipe a try! I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) Let me know what other recipes you try! xx

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    We love this recipe. I want to make it for guests and was wondering if you think the sauce could be made the morning of for dinner the same day. I don’t want to spend a ton of time cooking while guests arrive. Thanks!! If you have a better suggestion for a make ahead saucy dish, I am all ears!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Karen,
      So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! Yes, you can totally make the sauce in advance:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx

      Reply

    1. Hi Deb,
      Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xT

      Reply

    1. Hi Lindsay,
      Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This is so tasty! Perfect for the beginning of fall. I’m not a big bacon person so I sautéed mushrooms instead which was super tasty and vegetarian! Will definitely have to make again.

    Reply

    1. Hi Emma,
      Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xx

      Reply

  9. Hi Tieghan! Have you made this with a vegetarian protein (ex tofu or roasted chickpeas)/what would you recommend? Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessica,
      Sorry, are you asking to use a protein option in place of the bacon? Chickpeas would be great! I hope you love the recipe! xx

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This was delicious and so creamy. The house smelled amazing with the rosemary and bacon cooking!

    The next time I make it, I’ll save more pasta water to thin the sauce, and blend a bit with the squash so that is thinner before mixing it in with the noodles.

    Served this with the Brussels sprout winter salad for a lovely, comforting fall dinner. Thank you!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Ashley,
      Happy Friday!! Thanks a ton for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a winner:)

      Reply

  11. 4 stars
    Very good. I would double the squash purée and double the bacon and cook the noodles more than Al Dente. My family loved it because it is different than what they normally do. A great dish, especially for fall.

    Reply

    2. 5 stars
      Carbonara is not my usual go to bc it’s usually overly creamy and heavy. This recipe is anything but! It’s savory, hearty and surprisingly light. The bacon goes so well with the butternut squash.
      I love it! Eating leftovers right now and felt compelled to leave a review.
      Thanks for another amazing recipe that I will surely make over and over again!

      Reply

    1. Hey Katrina,
      I usually just cut around the skin to avoid having to peel it. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    This was SO GOOD! I will definitely be making it again. I made the bacon and squash mixture in advance, just to make it a bit quicker for a weekday meal. I will say the bacon took over 35 mins to get even a little bit crispy so be prepared for that. I also took about about a quarter of the noodles as I could see there wouldn’t be enough sauce, even though I added extra squash. I do like it saucy! This is definitely five stars! It’s better than the original carbonara!

    Reply

    1. Hey Penny,
      Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT

      Reply

    1. Hi Marie,
      I’ve not tested that with this recipe, but I think it’s worth a try! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xT

      Reply