Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Being that is is finally Autumn, you’ve probably been seeing a resurgence of butternut squash recipes. Well, here comes another one. Last year I posted the recipes for roasted cinnamon butternut squash as well as a butternut squash buddha bowl (yay health food). This Bacon and Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta is a bit less healthy, but a fantastic, warming, comfort food.

Squash is not an intimidating ingredient, and butternut squash is my favorite variety. In fact, you can simply peel it, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, and roast it for an easy and healthy meal. Of course, this pasta kicks things up a notch with a delicious blend of flavors.

To start simple peel and dice you butternut squash, then toss with some olive oil and Italian herbs. My mix is simple, just some oregano, basil, garlic, and salt. You can add some chili flakes here, but I like to add them at the end to better control the spice level.

Then spread the squash on a baking tray and bake at 175 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for about 25 minutes. Some of the herbs will blacken but that’s okay, we aren’t adding them to the finished pasta.

While the butternut squash is roasting you can get started on the rest of the pasta. Just roughly chop up your bacon (I don’t separate the slices) and cook it down on medium heat. When the bacon is almost done I add in a chopped red bell pepper and a couple chopped shallots.

Next sprinkle over a tablespoon of flour to absorb all the fat, and when cooked trickle in about a half cup of milk. It may look a bit thin, but it will thicken as it cooks. At this point you can start boiling your pasta in salted water. I use lumache (snail shell pasta) which I have used previously in my tasty Cream Cheese Pasta recipe.

Once the pasta is just al dente you can add it to the pan. This pasta shape retains a lot of water so you don’t need to add extra. Also add in the roasted butternut squash. I try not to add in the burnt herbs by using tongs but you can just shake the pan and that will usually dislodge the squash pieces as well.

Finally grate over a healthy amount of parmesan cheese along with some red chili flakes and give everything a careful mix. The squash is soft so try not to break it up. Just a light mix will do.

Serve this Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with some sprouts or micro-greens for some color contrast and enjoy!

Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

This Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta is such an easy recipe and a perfect comfort food for Autumn

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Fusion, Italian

Keyword: Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta, Bacon Pasta, Butternut Squash Recipes, Roasted Butternut Squash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 688kcal

Cost: $5

Equipment

• Pot
• Pan
• Baking Tray

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Squash

• 1 Butternut Squash peeled, cleaned, and cubed
• 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning your favorite blend
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Pasta

• 100 grams Bacon Roughly chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
• 2 Shallots diced
• 1/2 cup Milk more or less
• 1 tbsp Flour to thicken
• 100 grams Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes to taste
• Salt to taste
• 300 grams Pasta I used lumache, but you can use any short shaped pasta you prefer.

Instructions

• In a bowl mix the butternut squash pieces with the olive oil and Italian seasoning. Spread on a baking tray and place into an oven preheated to 175 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes.
• While the squash is roasting start on the pasta sauce. In a pan on medium heat start frying the bacon. When the bacon is almost done add the onion and bell pepper.
• Next sprinkle in the flour and stir the pan so the flour can absorb the fat and toast a bit. Then slowly trickle in the milk. It will thicken as it cooks. Start boiling the pasta in salted water at this point.
• When the pasta is al dente add it to the pan. You don't need to add extra pasta water, this pasta shape retains quite a bit of water. If you use a different shape add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to create more sauce. Taste for salt (the pasta water can be quite salty) and add salt if needed.
• Add the roasted butternut squash and carefully mix everything up. Add in the cheese and mix some more so the cheese melts into the pasta and sauce.
• Serve with some micro greens or sprouts, some red chili flakes if you wish, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Sodium: 614mg | Calcium: 491mg | Vitamin C: 78mg | Vitamin A: 21345IU | Sugar: 10g | Fiber: 8g | Potassium: 1102mg | Cholesterol: 100mg | Calories: 688kcal | Saturated Fat: 10g | Fat: 28g | Protein: 27g | Carbohydrates: 85g | Iron: 4mg

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Bacon And Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

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