Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

If you haven’t enjoyed the flavors of roasted butternut squash then you really must give this recipe a try. The squash a deep nutty, slightly sweet, flavor similar to pumpkin but not quite as strong. It is also a very heart-healthy veggie, loaded with potassium and fiber. Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta is loaded with creamy butternut sauce and crispy bacon. It is a perfect pasta a night meal.

While it might take a while to roast the butternut squash, it is well worth it. If you are pressed for time you can always cut the the squash into more pieces than just halved. It will help it roast much faster. But to get the full flavor of the delicious roasted butternut squash, it really is worth the time. This might be a Sunday Supper type recipe.

As always, I like to use the thick-cut bacon. I want to taste the meat and not just have it all melt away into bacon grease. It is usually a bit more costly, but it goes a lot further when it has some heft to it. For this recipe I used linguini for the pasta, more girth to hold on to the sauce. You could go thicker with a fettuccini or you could go thinner with spaghetti.

I served this pasta with some garlic breadsticks, perfect for sopping up the extra sauce. A nice side salad would also be so good with this pasta dish. For the breadsticks, I simply brush them with butter or spray with oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and parsley. Then bake at 450degF for 7 minutes.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted butternut squash made into a creamy sauce with bacon served over pasta

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword bacon, butternut squash, Garlic, heavy cream, Parmesan, parmesan cheese, Pasta, pasta dishes, roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic

Prep Time 2 hours hours 33 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 Large Butternut Squash halved and seeded
• 6 Whole Garlic Cloves
• ¼ cup Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 lb Bacon cut into ½-inch piece
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1½ lb Long Pasta linguini, fettuccini, spaghetti

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300degF.
• Line halved butternut squash out on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with oil. Place a whole garlic clove in whole of each squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and let roast for 3 hours (or until fork tender)
• Remove from oven and let cool while cooking bacon.
• Start water boiling for pasta.
• In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add bacon and onions. Cook until crispy. Remove half of bacon mixture from pan, reserve bacon grease in pan.
• Remove squash from skin and transfer to large mixing bowl. Add cream, oregano, basil, and red pepper flake. Carefully blitz with immersion blender until smooth (food processer or blender will work too).
• Add squash mixture to pan with bacon. Add broth and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer while pasta cooks.
• Add pasta to boiling water. Cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and return to pot away from heat. Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat.
• Serve with a portion of bacon and sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.