Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon | PWWB (2024)

1

Peel the squash.While a butternut squash’s skin is thick & tough, a Y-peeler makes this an incredibly quick & simple job. As opposed to a straight/swivel peeler, a Y-peeler’s wide handle is situated under the blade, which makes peeling especially efficient & comfortable.

2

Slice the squash in half. Trim both ends off the squash & carefully halve the squash lengthwise. I like to do this by setting the squash on its large, flat bottom side (where the seeds are) & carefully slicing down through the center of the squash. If this motion feels awkward or uncomfortable, you can also cut the squash in half crosswise first, where the rounded portion meets the oblong portion, then cut each piece in half lengthwise.

3

Remove the seeds. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds from the squash. Discard them, or set them aside to roast up as a quick fall snack!

4

Slice & dice the butternut squash. Cut the oblong section of the squash into planks, then dice into cubes. Cut the round end into slices, then dice.

This Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon is one of the fall dinner recipes I look forward to the most this time of year. It’s a made-from-scratch comfort food meal & each bite is seriously packed with seasonal flavor, but it couldn’t be easier to make!

The secret? The homemade butternut squash pasta sauce is effectively a sheet pan recipe! Toss cubed butternut squash with fragrant fresh herbs, then nestle it on a sheet pan with shallot & garlic, draping thick pieces of bacon over top. The bacon renders into the vegetables as it roasts, infusing them with incredible richness.

From there, the simply blend the roasted veggies with parmesan & a little stock, creating a luscious, smooth & creamy sauce to toss into your pasta of choice. Feel free to use any long or twirly pasta you love, & don’t forget to top it all off with crispy chopped bacon!

If you’ve never broken down a butternut squash before, it’s really the simplest thing – check out the blog post, above, for a full how-to including step-by-step photos to help you along the way. ♡ Happy cooking!

Ingredients

Scale

• 16 ounces dried pasta of choice
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, & diced into ½-inch cubes (roughly 4 cups cubed)
• 2 large shallots, peeled & halved lengthwise
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped hardy fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
• 6 slices bacon
• 1–2 cups vegetable stockor broth
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• optional: 2 tablespoonsheavy cream
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper as desired for easy clean up. Break down the butternut squash: use a Y-peeler to peel the squash, trim the ends off & slice the squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds & discard. Dice the squash into ½-inch cubes.
2. Roast the squash & aromatics:Place the cubed butternut squash, shallots, & garlic on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil & season with the chopped fresh herbs, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, & ground black pepper as desired. Drape bacon over the seasoned veggies. Place in the oven & roast 30-35 minutes, until the bacon is rendered & the squash is very tender – you should be able to easily smash it with a fork. Remove from the oven. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board & chop fine. Carefully peel the roasted garlic. Set aside.

3. Boil the pasta:Meanwhile, as the squash roasts, boil the pasta. I suggest beginning to boil generously salted water after you first put the squash in the oven to roast. About 10 minutes before the squash is ready to pull from the oven, drop the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta & return to the pot. (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
4. Blend the creamy butternut squash pasta sauce: Transfer the roasted butternut squash, shallot, & garlic to the jar of a high-speed blender. Add in 1 cup of the vegetable stock, grated parmesan, & heavy cream (if using). Blend until the sauce is smooth & creamy, about 30-45 seconds. If the mixture is too thick, simply drizzle in a little extra vegetable stock or reserved pasta water. Taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as needed.

5. Toss the pasta:Pour the butternut squash pasta sauce over the cooked pasta, tossing to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Adjust as needed so the butternut squash pasta sauce evenly coats the pasta – if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc.
6. Serveimmediately, topped with chopped bacon, crispy sage leaves, or additional grated parmesan, as desired. Enjoy!

• Storage & Freezing:
  • Butternut Squash Pasta Storage & Reheating: Leftover creamy butternut squash pasta will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
  • Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Freezer Instructions:The creamy butternut squash pasta sauce is also very freezer friendly. To freeze, transfer cooled butternut squash pasta sauce to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions & freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen butternut squash pasta sauce in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop. The sauce may be a little watery from freezing, simply simmer excess water off. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 3, 5-6 of Recipe Directions, above.
• 10-Minute Meal Prep:Nearly all the active prep work for this creamy butternut squash pasta comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
  • Peel, deseed & dice 1 small butternut squash into ½-inch cubes. Peel & halve 2 shallots. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)