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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

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.

Ingredients

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. 5 stars
    You have not steered us wrong so far in all the recipes we’ve made and this one is no different. So wonderful and definitely worth the time and love you put into your recipes. Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    Man this was great! It did take quite a bit longer in the oven than the recipe said, but it was worth the wait! This is everything I want in a cozy autumn meal. I served it with a green salad and a multi-grain baguette. Perfect!

  3. 5 stars
    This may be my favorite rendition of carbonara. My partner doesn’t typically like butternut squash, and even he loved this recipe. As others have mentioned, the bacon took longer to cook than the 15-18 minutes allocated in the recipe. I noticed that it was cooking too slowly around the halfway mark and bumped the heat up to 425. I ended up roasting the bacon and squash for about 25 minutes total.

  4. 4 stars
    My husband and I loved this recipe. He is not a butternut fan, but he did love this. I needed to bake way longer to get my bacon done. May try finishing it under the broiler for a minute after baking for 10 min on one side and 8 min on the other side next time I make it, just to see how that works for us.

  5. 5 stars
    Amazing! I was so excited to try this recipe when you posted it. Easy and delicious. Just the right amount of creaminess and heat.

  6. 5 stars
    This turned out so perfectly! The ingredients were so fun & the sauce turned out so silky & full of fall flavor. I’m savouring the last of my garden herbs before the deep freeze of Canadian winter. Super easy to make and the house smelled insanely good! My whole family enjoyed this thoroughly which was a bonus. I will save this as a go to cozy fall dish. Thanks Teigan, you’re the best!

  7. This is such a delicious recipe and has become a fan-favorite at my house! How do you think it would freeze – my daughter wants to bring some back to college with her for when she needs some comfort food from home 😃

    1. Hey Diana,
      Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)

  8. 5 stars
    Made it tonight and I loved it! The creaminess, the gentle sweet from the honey and squash, saltiness of the bacon & cheese and the little bit of heat was all so perfect together, Added thrill of making carbonara and creating that cream with no cream is soooo satisfying! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hey Kathy,
      Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan

  9. 5 stars
    My husband and I loved this pasta!!! We scaled the cheese back a little and it was divine and not too heavy. The crispy prosciutto really makes it!

    1. Hey Katelyn,
      Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend!🍁

  10. 5 stars
    Tasty and nourishing, perfect for an autumn-winter meal ! I made it with Hokkaido pumpkin (my favorite squash), parmesan and pecorino cheese, but without rosemary.
    This recipe is a little different from the pumpkin-carbo I usually make. Both are delicious. Thanks for sharing !

    1. Hey there,
      Happy Friday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try!

  11. Okay this was AMAZING and so simple to make. The only thing I did different was add cream to the butternut squash purée in the food processor to help get it smooth. I could’ve probably used extra pasta water for this too. Seriously so good!!

    1. Hey Andrea,
      Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try!🍂 xT