Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta is so sumptuous and mouthwatering. In fact, it has become a family favorite! Oh, how I loved this pasta! Succulent, savory, sensational are only a few words to describe it. Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta has a wonderful creamy cheese sauce using both provolone and parmesan cheeses.
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It also includes butternut squash that’s been roasted with rosemary and olive oil for extra flavor, and hickory-smoked bacon to provide that smoky, savory flavor we loved when we ate this entree a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is this was marvelous. Then, again, anything with bacon is wonderful in my eyes. 🙂
I saw the pictures for this recipe on Pinterest about a month ago and was actually planning on making this for a luncheon I was serving at church a couple of weeks ago. But then I started craving the dish like mad and decided to make it up just for us instead. Wow, talk about a lip-smacking pasta. It was so perfect.
I love butternut squash and it’s wonderful paired with Mac and Cheese. Adding the bacon takes it to a new level, though. I polished this dish off for lunches for a few days afterwards and enjoyed every mouthful. This recipe does have quite a few steps, but thankfully, much of it can be done while you’re roasting the butternut squash so that it all comes together around the same time.
If you’re looking for a dynamite pasta dish, you’ve simply got to give Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta a try. Instead of milk I used whipping cream to give it a creamier flavor, and I increased the seasonings just a tad more as well. I also recommend a thick-sliced bacon as it gives the casserole more body and texture. Plus, the hickory-smoked flavor was really good. A maple-flavored bacon would also be a great option. This casserole has both sweet and savory flavors since the butternut squash is sweet but the cheeses, bacon and sauce is more salty and savory. It works. Trust me. You will love this dish.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta is breathtaking!
This wonderful main dish pasta is so heartwarming and satisfying.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta is one of the best comfort foods you’ll ever eat! I couldn’t get enough of it.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Spray a 10×15″ glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add butternut squash cubes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Drizzle or brush with olive oil. Bake at 425 for about 45 minutes until squash is tender.
Meanwhile, fry bacon in skillet until done.
Set out on paper towels to absorb grease. When cool, break into 1/2″ pieces and set aside.
Remove all but about one-third of the bacon grease. Add diced shallots and garlic and saute a few minutes until veggies are tender.
Add flour and whisk to combine. Begin adding cream about 1/8 cup at a time and whisk until all of the cream is incorporated.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir to combine. Allow sauce to thicken. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large stock pot. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Stir cooked pasta into cream sauce.
Remove butternut squash from oven.
Remove about one-quarter of the squash for topping and place on plate or in bowl. To the remaining 3/4 butternut squash in the 10×15″ glass baking dish add ALL of the penne/cream sauce, 3/4 of the bacon and 3/4 of each of the cheeses.
Stir well to combine.
Top pasta with remaining butternut squash, bacon and cheeses. Bake at 425 about 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Garnish with extra cheese, if desired.
Serve Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta with your favorite bread.
Bacon makes everything so much better! 🙂
Here’s the recipe.
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON PASTA
(Recipe adapted from A Hint of Honey; source: adapted from Cooking Light)
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta
Equipment
- 1 10x15" glass baking dish
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 sharp knife to cut fruit and vegetables
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 colander
- 1 medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed, (about 4 cups)
- 6 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon crisp-cooked and broken into ½” pieces
- 1 cup shallots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8-12 oz. penne pasta cooked and drained
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt divided use
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper or more
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil as needed
- 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded or more if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Peel, seed and cube butternut squash.
- Place in a well-sprayed 10x15” glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle with at least a ½ tsp. each of salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Drizzle a few tablespoonfuls olive oil over top.
- Bake at 425° for about 45 minutes until squash is done.
- Meanwhile, fry bacon in a large skillet.
- Once cooked, place bacon on paper towels to absorb extra grease and cool.
- Break bacon pieces into ½” pieces and set aside.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup of the bacon grease.
- Add shallots and garlic to bacon grease in pan and sauté until tender.
- Stir in flour and continue whisking for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add whipping cream, about 1/8 cup at a time until all is incorporated.
- Add remaining salt, nutmeg, and pepper, to taste.
- Check seasonings.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Cook over low-medium heat until thickened.
- Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot.
- Add penne pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain in colander.
- Turn off heat in the skillet containing the cream sauce.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine.
- Once the butternut squash is cooked, remove about one fourth of the squash and set it aside in a bowl.
- To the remaining three-fourths of the butternut squash in the 10x15” glass baking dish, add all of the pasta/cream mixture, three-fourths of the bacon, and three fourths of each of the cheeses.
- Stir well to combine.
- Sprinkle top with remaining one-quarter butternut squash, remaining one-quarter bacon, and remaining cheeses.
- Add more cheese, if desired.
- Bake at 425° for about 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Tent with foil, if necessary to avoid over-browning.
Notes
Nutrition
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 4 cups)
- 6 slices [url href=”http://www.wrightbrand.com/” target=”_blank” title=”wright brand bacon”]Wright[/url] thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, crisp-cooked and broken into ½” pieces
- 1 cup diced shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8-12-oz. [url href=”http://www.barilla.com/” target=”_blank” title=”barilla penne pasta”]Barilla[/url] penne pasta, cooked and drained
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt, divided use
- ½ tsp. pepper, or more, to taste
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- [url href=”http://www.olivarioliveoil.com/#/home/” target=”_blank” title=”olivari mediterranean olive oil”]Olivari[/url] extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- 1 cup provolone cheese, shredded, divided use
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese or more if desired
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Peel, seed and cube butternut squash.
- Place in a well-sprayed 10×15” glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle with at least a ½ tsp. each of salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Drizzle a few tablespoonfuls olive oil over top.
- Bake at 425° for about 45 minutes until squash is done.
- Meanwhile, fry bacon in a large skillet.
- Once cooked, place bacon on paper towels to absorb extra grease and cool.
- Break bacon pieces into ½” pieces and set aside.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup of the bacon grease.
- Add shallots and garlic to bacon grease in pan and sauté until tender.
- Stir in flour and continue whisking for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add whipping cream, about 1/8 cup at a time until all is incorporated.
- Add remaining salt, nutmeg, and pepper, to taste.
- Check seasonings.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Cook over low-medium heat until thickened.
- Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot.
- Add penne pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain.
- Turn off heat in the skillet containing the cream sauce.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine.
- Once the butternut squash is cooked, remove about one fourth of the squash and set it aside in a bowl.
- To the remaining three-fourths of the butternut squash in the 10×15” glass baking dish, add all of the pasta/cream mixture, three-fourths of the bacon, and three fourths of each of the cheeses.
- Stir well to combine.
- Sprinkle top with remaining one-quarter butternut squash, remaining one-quarter bacon, and remaining cheeses.
- Add more cheese, if desired.
- Bake at 425° for about 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Tent with foil, if necessary to avoid over-browning.
If you’re looking for a fabulous dinner pasta for company, this is it!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta is ooey, gooey and delicious!
Doesn’t Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta look terrific?
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Southern-Style Macaroni and Cheese
Butternut Squash and Pear Gratin
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta
Equipment
- 1 10×15" glass baking dish
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 sharp knife to cut fruit and vegetables
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 colander
- 1 medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed, (about 4 cups)
- 6 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon crisp-cooked and broken into ½” pieces
- 1 cup shallots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8-12 oz. penne pasta cooked and drained
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt divided use
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper or more
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil as needed
- 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded or more if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Peel, seed and cube butternut squash.
- Place in a well-sprayed 10×15” glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle with at least a ½ tsp. each of salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Drizzle a few tablespoonfuls olive oil over top.
- Bake at 425° for about 45 minutes until squash is done.
- Meanwhile, fry bacon in a large skillet.
- Once cooked, place bacon on paper towels to absorb extra grease and cool.
- Break bacon pieces into ½” pieces and set aside.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup of the bacon grease.
- Add shallots and garlic to bacon grease in pan and sauté until tender.
- Stir in flour and continue whisking for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add whipping cream, about 1/8 cup at a time until all is incorporated.
- Add remaining salt, nutmeg, and pepper, to taste.
- Check seasonings.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Cook over low-medium heat until thickened.
- Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot.
- Add penne pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain in colander.
- Turn off heat in the skillet containing the cream sauce.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine.
- Once the butternut squash is cooked, remove about one fourth of the squash and set it aside in a bowl.
- To the remaining three-fourths of the butternut squash in the 10×15” glass baking dish, add all of the pasta/cream mixture, three-fourths of the bacon, and three fourths of each of the cheeses.
- Stir well to combine.
- Sprinkle top with remaining one-quarter butternut squash, remaining one-quarter bacon, and remaining cheeses.
- Add more cheese, if desired.
- Bake at 425° for about 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Tent with foil, if necessary to avoid over-browning.
8 Comments
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Shari Kelley
March 11, 2015 at 6:41 pm
This looks absolutely incredible, Teresa! I know I would love it with all of those flavors going on. Pinning this for sure.
Teresa
March 13, 2015 at 11:36 am
Thanks, Shari. It really was so delicious. How can you say no to bacon and butternut squash! 🙂
Tamara Leigh
March 11, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Oh my gosh! That is a beautiful pasta, Teresa. Thank you for straightening out my email subscription. Have a fab day!
Teresa
March 11, 2015 at 3:49 pm
This was so good, Tamara. You’ve got to try it sometime! Glad you are subscribed again.