Butternut Squash Carbonara Pasta

Creamy butternut squash carbonara pasta is one of the absolute best fall pasta dishes I’ve ever made. Linguine pasta is tossed in a butternut squash pasta sauce made with seasoned roasted butternut squash, Parmesan cheese and eggs, and tossed with crisp bacon and pan-fried sage. If you’re a lover of traditional carbonara, you are going to go crazy over this fall and winter version. This butternut squash pasta is fall comfort food at it's finest.

The best part of it all? Probably the amazing aroma escaping from the butternut squash that is roasting away in the oven seasoned with garlic and cinnamon. It is truly incredible. But just wait until you have that flavour in your mouth. It's that familiar warm fall flavour we all know and love. And once roasted, the squash goes for a quick spin in a food processor and turns into an amazingly thick and creamy sauce, with no cream.

Ingredients

To make this delicious butternut squash pasta, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• butternut squash - you will need one large butternut squash chopped up into 1-inch cubes. You can also use 1 + ¼ cup butternut squash puree to make this recipe even easier and quicker.
• olive oil - for roasting the squash.
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder - you can use pressed or minced garlic if you prefer.
• onion powder
• cinnamon
• bacon
• large onion
• sage
• linguine pasta
• egg yolks
• Parmesan cheese

You will also need a ½ pan baking sheet pan for roasting the butternut squash, a large skillet and a large pot.

How to Make the Best Butternut Squash Carbonara Pasta

1. Roast the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chopped butternut squash on a large rimmed baking sheet pan. Add olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon. Toss to combine. Roast until tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
2. Cook the bacon. While the squash is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3. Sauté onions and sage. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. Add onion and cook for about 6-8 minutes until translucent. And chopped sage and cook for one more minute. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, or in accordance with package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
5. Prepare the pasta sauce. Add the slightly cooled squash to a food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and pulse. Transfer the squash puree to the skillet with the onion and sage, and add in egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. Use a whisk to combine while everything is still warm — it will slightly cook the eggs.
6. Combine pasta with sauce. Add pasta and bacon and toss to combine. (If pasta sauce is too thick, slowly drizzle in more of the reserved cooking liquid).

How to Serve

Plate the pasta on individual plates or in bowls and top with additional Parmesan cheese, chopped sage, and lots of freshly grated black pepper (it makes the dish!), and serve immediately. Every bite packs so much flavour. I can think of no better way to spend a cool winter evening than wrapped up in a bowl of this pasta. 

I also like to balance this out with a fresh salad on the side. My favourites to serve with this are winter kale salad with apple cider vinaigrette or fall harvest salad with roasted butternut squash or brussels sprouts salad.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• 30-Minute Butternut Squash Soup
• Stuffed Butternut Squash with Wild Rice
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale
• Butternut Squash Galette

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