Butternut Squash Pasta with tender squash, crispy bacon, and fresh thyme—pasta perfection!
Butternut Squash Pasta
At a restaurant I used to work at, we had a seasonal Butternut Squash Pasta that I loved. It had roasted butternut squash with a hint of thyme in a creamy sauce, and it was one of our most popular fall dishes.
This is my take on that recipe, and it’s just as good. Creamy fettuccine, roasted squash, and crispy bacon—simple and delicious!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Butternut Squash Pasta:
- Butternut Squash: More on this ingredient below!
- Olive Oil: Helps roast and adds flavor.
- Thyme & Italian Seasoning: Adds flavor to the squash.
- Bacon: Thick-cut is ideal for leaving the right amount of grease. Freeze before cutting for easier dicing.
- Butter: Use unsalted to control the salt.
- Shallots & Garlic: Adds flavor. Shallots are optional but add a nice flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Use low-sodium to keep the dish from getting too salty.
- Heavy Cream: Skip lighter options, this dish relies on the cream to thicken.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated melts better than pre-shredded.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach works best and wilts into the sauce quickly.
- Fresh Thyme: To prep, hold the top of the stem and slide your fingers down to remove the leaves.
Prepping Squash
Choose a butternut squash with smooth, beige skin that feels heavy for its size. Store whole at room temperature in a cool, dark spot. Keep peeled and chopped squash in an airtight container in the fridge.
Here’s how to prepare the squash for this Butternut Squash Pasta:
- Rinse and peel the squash.
- Cut off the top and bottom ends.
- Slice the squash in half where the neck meets the base, then halve each piece.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Cut the halves into 1/2-inch cubes.
Shortcuts
For faster prep, grab a bag of pre-cut butternut squash from the store. If the pieces are too big, cut them smaller for even roasting.
How To Make Butternut Squash Pasta
- Roast Squash: Toss squash with oil and seasoning. Roast at 425°F for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta, save some water, and drain.
- Cook Bacon: Cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon, leave some grease.
- Make Sauce: Add butter, garlic, broth, cream, and Parmesan. Simmer until thick.
- Mix: Add spinach, pasta, squash, and most bacon to the sauce.
- Serve: Top with leftover bacon and Parmesan. Enjoy!
Emulsifying Butternut Squash Pasta
Tossing pasta, sauce, and pasta water creates a smooth, creamy sauce. The starchy pasta water blends with the Alfredo, making it rich and flavorful.
Quick Tip
To remember pasta water, place a measuring cup in the colander before draining. You’ll see it and scoop out what you need!
Butternut Squash Pasta Tips
- Salt the pasta water: This is your only chance to season the pasta.
- Adjust the sauce: If the pasta soaks up too much sauce, add a bit of reserved pasta water until it’s just right.
- Measure the pasta: Use 10 ounces of fettuccine, not the whole 16-ounce package. Save the rest for another meal.
Butternut Squash Pasta Storage
This pasta is best enjoyed fresh. For leftovers, add a splash of cream when reheating to loosen the sauce. Avoid freezing.
More Ways To Use Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf with a maple-orange dressing
- Butternut Squash Tacos with the best creamy chili-lime sauce
- Roasted Butternut Squash made three different ways!
- Butternut Squash Chili made with quinoa
- Butternut Squash Soup with roasted pumpkin seeds
Butternut Squash Pasta
This creamy Butternut Squash Pasta is pure comfort food! Enjoy fettuccine coated in a rich sauce with tender roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, and fresh thyme.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Large pan
Ingredients
Squash
Pasta
- 10 ounces fettuccine not the whole box, plus pasta water
- 6 ounces thick-sliced bacon see note 1
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots optional
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, see note 2
- 4 cups baby spinach lightly packed, see note 3
- Fresh thyme optional, see note 4
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes. On a large sheet pan, add the squash, oil, dried thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toss well and space out the cubes on the sheet pan. Roast for 30–35 minutes or until crisp tender, flipping every 10 minutes. If they are too closely spaced or cut too large, this will take 5–10 minutes longer. Remove and set aside.
- Bring 12 cups water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and pasta. Cook according to package instructions minus 1-1/2 minutes. Use a mug to remove a big scoop of pasta water and then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Dice the bacon and cook over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottom pan until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the drippings in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add shallots, garlic, and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until golden, about 1–2 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of chicken broth; it should sizzle and boil. Scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Once this 1/2 cup is mostly evaporated, add in the other 1/2 cup and stir.
- Add in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer, over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 3–5 minutes or until it thickens and slightly reduces.
- Add the spinach and pasta and use tongs to toss into the cream sauce until the spinach cooks down and the sauce thickens and nicely coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add in the reserved pasta water. Once sufficiently tossed, add in the roasted squash and 3/4ths of the bacon. Gently toss to coat. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve immediately. Top individual plates with remaining bacon pieces, a touch more Parmesan, and fresh thyme. Enjoy immediately! Pasta is best enjoyed right after being tossed!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: To ensure there are plenty of drippings and flavor left behind, use 4 slices thick-sliced bacon. If you don’t have thick bacon, you’ll need to use 6 slices.
Note 2: Grab a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it on the small holes of a cheese grater to get an accurate measurement and the perfect melt in this sauce.
Note 3: While the spinach doesn’t have to be chopped it does integrate better in the dish that way. I just quickly run a chef’s knife through a big pile of spinach!
Note 4: I use fresh thyme to add a burst of fall flavor to this pasta, it’s optional, but delicious.
Storage: As with most pasta dishes, this recipe is best enjoyed the minute the sauce is emulsified. You can certainly store leftovers but will likely need to add some more heavy cream as you re-heat the pasta to loosen the sauce again. Because of the dairy in this dish, it isn’t a great candidate for freezing and thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 843kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1113mg | Potassium: 1686mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 38622IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 761mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today and it is amazing ! I made it with 1/2 and 1/2 and it worked out perfectly ! You rock Chelsea !
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Victoria! 🙂
Made this tody and it is absolutely amazing ! I used 1/2 and 1/2 and it still worked perfectly ! Your rock Chelsea !
This was delicious! We tossed in some leftover rotisserie chicken since we had it on hand. Best thing we’ve made in awhile!
That is so fun to hear, thank you so much for the commend and review Molly 🙂
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it! What could I use instead of bacon? Dietary restrictions call for low fat and while we LOVE bacon it would be best to find a substitute. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Hey Sarah! I haven’t tried this recipe without bacon, but you could try turkey bacon instead and replace the missing grease with either butter or olive oil (you can cut this amount down a bit to reduce fat).
You could also leave out the bacon entirely (replace missing grease with olive oil or butter) and then add in some dijon mustard (about 1/2 teaspoon) to amp up the flavor of the sauce (add with heavy cream) — flavors will be slightly different (not smokey) but should still be tasty. Hope that helps!