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5 from 7 reviews

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon

Posted by Jess Larson on October 13th, 2021 (Updated December 26, 2024)
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY FULL DISCLAIMER POLICY FOR DETAILS.
Make the most of harvest season with Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon! Create an easy homemade butternut squash pasta sauce by roasting hearty squash with shallot, garlic, fresh herbs, & bacon, which renders right into the vegetables for irresistible rich flavor! Simply blend the roasted veggies smooth with parmesan, then toss the sauce into your favorite pasta.

The ultimate cozy & comforting fall dinner, ready in 45 minutes or less!

Jump to Recipe
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, & fresh sage leaves. A silver fork rests inside of the pasta bowl & the bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a light blue linen napkin, & a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.
Photography by Rachel Cook
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Serves: 4
5 from 7 reviews
Featured Review

This dish is perfect for any day, but definitely great for a weeknight. The sheet pan made cooking simple and cleaning even easier! The flavor of the squash, garlic, and shallots combined made a delicious sauce. I would make more bacon next time, but I am so happy it made leftovers. It’s a great fall staple!

Kristina
Read More Reviews

Butternut Squash and Pasta – the Makings of the Perfect Cozy Fall Dinner!

Embrace harvest season with the most comforting bowl of carbs imaginable, Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon! This cozy fall pasta is so impressive and festive that you’d never guess it’s also a great lazy dinner – low in effort and deliciously high in reward. What’s not to love about that?!

An overhead shot of creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, and fresh sage leaves. The bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a light blue linen napkin. this Recipe for Later!
With hearty butternut squash, fresh sage, and smoky bacon, this cozy pasta is the best recipe to welcome fall!

The star of this recipe is a homemade creamy butternut squash pasta sauce. Butternut, shallot, garlic, and loads of hardy fresh herbs roast on a sheet pan, developing intensely caramelized, toasty flavor. Center cut bacon is draped over the top, which renders and infuses the veggies with irresistible richness as it all roasts together.

From there, the roasted veggies are blitzed up into a luscious, smooth and creamy sauce perfect for tossing into a pile of piping hot pasta.

Best of all, though? It’s a scratch-made comfort food meal but this butternut squash pasta is so insanely easy to throw together. It’s effectively an easy sheet pan dinner that comes together in with less than 30 minutes of active work. Aside from boiling a pot of pasta, the oven does all of the work!

How to Cut Butternut Squash

If you’ve never broken one down before, now’s the perfect opportunity to learn how to cut a butternut squash. This may seem intimidating, given its hefty size and oblong shape, but it’s really simple! Plus, compared to buying bags of pre-cubed squash from the store, cutting butternut squash at home is cost-effective, reduces waste, and yields enough squash for a couple of different recipes. Win-win!

Aside from the butternut squash, you need a sharp chef’s knife and a Y-peeler. Here’s what you’ll do:

A whole butternut squash rests on top of a round wooden cutting board alongside a pair of Zwilling Pro Le Blanc Knives. A woman's hand holds the top portion of the butternut squash, while holding a Zwilling Pro Y-Peeler in the other hand to peel the squash. The cutting board sits atop a white textured surface while butternut squash peelings, fresh herbs, and cloves of garlic surround the cutting board.
Step 1. Peel the squash. While a butternut squash’s skin is thick and tough, a Y-peeler makes this an incredibly quick and simple job.
Half of a peeled butternut squash rests on top of a round wooden cutting board alongside a pair of Zwilling Pro Le Blanc Knives and a Zwilling Pro Y-Peeler. The cutting board sits atop a white textured surface while butternut squash peelings, fresh herbs, and cloves of garlic surround the cutting board.
Step 2. Trim both ends off the squash and carefully halve the squash lengthwise
Half of a peeled butternut squash rests on top of a round wooden cutting board alongside a pair of Zwilling Pro Le Blanc Knives. A woman's hand holds the top portion of the butternut squash, while holding a spoon in the other hand using it to scoop out the butternut squash seeds. A small speckled ceramic bowl rests on the cutting board as well to collect the discarded butternut squash seeds. The cutting board sits atop a white textured surface while butternut squash peelings, fresh herbs, and cloves of garlic surround the cutting board.
Step 3. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds from the squash.
A peeled and cored butternut squash rests on top of a round wooden cutting board alongside a Zwilling Pro Le Blanc pairing knife. A woman's hands hold the top portion of a group of cut butternut squash, while using a knife to cut the squash into cubes with her other hand. Cubes of butternut squash rest on the cutting board and the cutting board sits atop a white textured surface while butternut squash peelings, fresh herbs, and cloves of garlic surround the cutting board.
Step 4. Cut the oblong section of the squash into planks, then dice into cubes. Cut the round end into slices, then dice.

Meal Prep Tips!

Most of the active prep work involved in this creamy butternut squash pasta recipe comes from breaking down the squash. Taking care of it in advance takes 10 minutes tops and diced butternut squash will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks. At dinnertime, you can jump straight into cooking – easy!

Cubed butternut squash, shallots, and garlic seasoned with olive oil and fresh herbs on a baking sheet before roasting.
Leftover cubed squash can be used to make Butternut Squash Red Curry, Black Bean and Butternut Squash Skillet Enchiladas, or our favorite Golden Chicken Soup.

How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

The best thing about this creamy butternut squash pasta sauce is the fact that it’s basically a sheet pan recipe!

Roasting butternut squash with aromatics like shallot, garlic, and fresh herbs creates deep caramelization, resulting in a butternut squash pasta sauce that is especially rich in flavor but totally hands off. Nothing not to love!

1

Assemble the sheet pan. Place the cubed butternut squash on a large sheet pan with shallots, whole garlic cloves, and a handful of finely chopped hardy herbs like fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary. Drizzle with oil and toss to combine.

2

Drape with bacon and roast. Drape a few slices of center-cut bacon over the veggies. Transfer to the oven and roast until the bacon is rendered and the squash is fork-tender.

Cubed butternut squash, shallots, and garlic seasoned with olive oil and fresh herbs with bacon draped over top on a baking sheet before roasting. The baking sheet sits atop a white textured surface.
Use a large sheet pan to avoid overcrowding. For richer, deeper flavor, the warm air in the oven needs to circulate all around the veggies as they roast.
Cubed butternut squash, shallots, and garlic seasoned with olive oil and fresh herbs with bacon draped over top on a baking sheet after roasting. The baking sheet sits atop a white textured surface.
The rich bacon fat renders down onto the veggies as everything roasts, infusing the roasted butternut squash and aromatics with smoky flavor.
3

Blend the roasted butternut squash pasta sauce. Set the bacon aside for garnishing the creamy butternut squash pasta, then transfer the roasted butternut squash, shallot, and garlic to a food processor or high-speed blender. Puree with some vegetable stock and grated parmesan until smooth and creamy.

Creamy butternut squash pasta sauce ingredients inside of a Zwilling Enfinigy Blender - roasted cubed butternut squash, shallots, garlic, and herbs, combined with vegetable stock, grated parmesan, and heavy cream. The blender carafe sits atop a white textured surface with loose herbs scattered on the surface.
Simply add the squash, shallot, garlic, grated parmesan and vegetable stock to a food processor…
Blended creamy butternut squash pasta sauce ingredients inside of a Zwilling Enfinigy Blender. The blender carafe sits atop a white textured surface with loose herbs scattered on the surface.
…and puree until smooth and creamy.

Bring It All Together – Toss With Pasta!

The #1 mistake I see home chefs make when they serve a pasta dish is simply plopping their prepared sauce atop a pile of pasta – please don’t do this! Al dente pasta should always cook with sauce for couple of minutes on the stovetop, allowing the two separate components to come together into one cohesive dish. 

That’s exactly how we’re going to create a killer creamy pasta dish using our homemade butternut squash pasta sauce. Learn more! 🤓 ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time.

Al dente cooked linguine pasta noodles strained using a mesh strainer that rests inside of a Staub dutch oven. The Dutch oven rests atop a white textured surface.
As the squash roasts, cook your pasta of choice just to al dente in a large pot of generously salted boiling water. Reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta – but do not rinse it!
A small skillet filled with cooked linguine noodles tossed in creamy butternut squash pasta sauce. The noodles have been garnished with freshly grated parmesan and ground black pepper. A woman's hand picks up some of the pasta using a set of tongs. The skillet sits atop a white textured surface with an empty pasta bowl in the background and a small speckled bowl filled with grated parmesan cheese in the foreground.
Add the cooked pasta back into the pot and pour the prepared sauce over the top. Stir to combine well. Adjust as needed with pasta water or vegetable stock so the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Cook for a couple minutes more, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the sauce.

What’s the best pasta to use? ⇢ I like pairing roasted butternut squash pasta with long pasta, like linguine or fettuccine (pictured). If you prefer short pasta, I suggest picking something with lots of crevices or twirls. The creamy sauce gets trapped in every nook and cranny, creating especially flavorful bites. In the mood for a fun project? 👩🏻‍🍳 ⇢ Try Homemade Pasta and Fresh Pasta Dough!

An overhead shot of creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, and fresh sage leaves. A set of silverware rests inside of the pasta bowl and the bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a clear drinking glass, a light blue linen napkin and a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.
Serve the butternut squash pasta with finely chopped bacon, freshly cracked pepper, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or with any other toppings of your choice, like fried sage, toasted nuts or breadcrumbs, or roasted butternut squash.

I can’t wait for you to try this Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta recipe! It’s the perfect fall meal, and I know you’re going to love it as much as we do!

If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations!

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An overhead shot of creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, & fresh sage leaves. The bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a light blue linen napkin & a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
  • Method: Roasted, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian, American
Print Recipe

Description

This Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon is one of the fall dinner recipes I look forward to the most this time of year. It’s a made-from-scratch comfort food meal and each bite is seriously packed with seasonal flavor, but it couldn’t be easier to make!

The secret? The homemade butternut squash pasta sauce is effectively a sheet pan recipe! Toss cubed butternut squash with fragrant fresh herbs, then nestle it on a sheet pan with shallot and garlic, draping thick pieces of bacon over top. The bacon renders into the vegetables as it roasts, infusing them with incredible richness. 

From there, the simply blend the roasted veggies with parmesan and a little stock, creating a luscious, smooth and creamy sauce to toss into your pasta of choice. Feel free to use any long or twirly pasta you love, and don’t forget to top it all off with crispy chopped bacon!

If you’ve never broken down a butternut squash before, it’s really the simplest thing – check out the blog post, above, for a full how-to including step-by-step photos to help you along the way. ♡ Happy cooking!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces dried pasta of choice
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced into ½-inch cubes (roughly 4 cups cubed)
  • 2 large shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped hardy fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1–2 cups vegetable stock or broth
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • optional: 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper as desired for easy clean up. Break down the butternut squash: use a Y-peeler to peel the squash, trim the ends off and slice the squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Dice the squash into ½-inch cubes.Butternut squash pasta ingredients arranged on a light plaster surface: butternut squash, shallots, garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs, bacon, vegetable stock, grated parmesan, linguine noodles.
  2. Roast the squash and aromatics: Place the cubed butternut squash, shallots, and garlic on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the chopped fresh herbs, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ground black pepper as desired. Drape bacon over the seasoned veggies. Place in the oven and roast 30-35 minutes, until the bacon is rendered and the squash is very tender – you should be able to easily smash it with a fork. Remove from the oven. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board and chop fine. Carefully peel the roasted garlic. Set aside.
  3. Boil the pasta: Meanwhile, as the squash roasts, boil the pasta. I suggest beginning to boil generously salted water after you first put the squash in the oven to roast. About 10 minutes before the squash is ready to pull from the oven, drop the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta and return to the pot. (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)Al dente cooked linguine pasta noodles strained using a mesh strainer that rests inside of a Staub dutch oven. The Dutch oven rests atop a white textured surface.
  4. Blend the creamy butternut squash pasta sauce: Transfer the roasted butternut squash, shallot, and garlic to the jar of a high-speed blender. Add in 1 cup of the vegetable stock, grated parmesan, and heavy cream (if using). Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 30-45 seconds. If the mixture is too thick, simply drizzle in a little extra vegetable stock or reserved pasta water. Taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as needed.
  5. Toss the pasta: Pour the butternut squash pasta sauce over the cooked pasta, tossing to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Adjust as needed so the butternut squash pasta sauce evenly coats the pasta – if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc.A small skillet filled with cooked linguine noodles tossed in creamy butternut squash pasta sauce. The noodles have been garnished with freshly grated parmesan & ground black pepper. The skillet sits atop a white textured surface.
  6. Serve immediately, topped with chopped bacon, crispy sage leaves, or additional grated parmesan, as desired. Enjoy!An overhead shot of creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, & fresh sage leaves. The bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a light blue linen napkin & a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.

Equipment

Notes

  • Storage and Freezing:
    • Butternut Squash Pasta Storage and Reheating: Leftover creamy butternut squash pasta will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
    • Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Freezer Instructions: The creamy butternut squash pasta sauce is also very freezer friendly. To freeze, transfer cooled butternut squash pasta sauce to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen butternut squash pasta sauce in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop. The sauce may be a little watery from freezing, simply simmer excess water off. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 3, 5-6 of Recipe Directions, above.
  • 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all the active prep work for this creamy butternut squash pasta comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
    • Peel, deseed and dice 1 small butternut squash into ½-inch cubes. Peel and halve 2 shallots. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowls, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, & fresh sage leaves. The bowls sit atop a white textured surface surrounded by silverware, a light blue linen napkin, & a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.
An overhead shot of creamy Butternut Squash Pasta shown in speckled ceramic pasta bowl, topped with crispy bacon, grated parmesan, ground black pepper, & fresh sage leaves. A silver fork rests inside of the pasta bowl & the bowl sits atop a white textured surface surrounded by a light blue linen napkin, & a small white bowl filled with freshly grated parmesan.

Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 10.28.24
    Courtney said:

    this was SO freaking delicious (Jess’s recipes always are) and super easy. this is definitely going into the regular rotation!

    Reply
    • 10.29.24
      Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      We love hearing that, Courtney! Thanks for the review! 🙂

      Reply
  2. 10.31.21
    Danyelle said:

    My new favorite way to use butternut squash! This pasta is so simple, yet so flavorful. I used my airfryer to bake the squash, and it turned out great. This will definitely be a repeat recipe. Highly recommend!

    Reply
    • 10.31.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Danyelle! We are so glad you loved this pasta – it is such a simple dish! So glad to hear that baking the squash with an air fryer turned out well – thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
  3. 10.24.21
    Kristina said:

    This dish is perfect for any day, but definitely great for a weeknight. The sheet pan made cooking simple and cleaning even easier! The flavor of the squash, garlic, and shallots combined made a delicious sauce. I would make more bacon next time, but I am so happy it made leftovers. It’s a great fall staple!

    Reply
  4. 10.22.21
    Megan said:

    YUM! My husband ate his straight out of the pot, he loved it so much he couldn’t wait for me to plate it, and that’s the indicator of a GREAT recipe! I made it according to the directions. The tips on peeling a squash were super helpful. Thanks for another winner, Jess!

    Reply
  5. 10.20.21
    Lauren Hobson said:

    Made this for dinner tonight! It was amazing. I used kobucha squash instead of butternut and added broccoli and sausage the the pasta! Highly recommend

    Reply
  6. 10.18.21
    Kimberly Behm said:

    Made this for dinner tonight, the whole family loved it! Was super easy to make and manageable for a weeknight meal. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • 10.31.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hey Kimberly! Yes, we love how quickly this comes together too (& that the oven & blender do all the work!). So glad to hear that the whole family enjoyed – thank you for taking the time to share!

      Reply
  7. 10.17.21
    Shelley Koplien said:

    Oh so creamy and tasty! This pasta was so good! Super easy to prep and cook, too! I used fresh herbs from my garden and my kitchen smelled so good will roasting with the squash. The bacon add a nice touch as well (who doesn’t love bacon!). It was a big hit with the fam and will be a regular on the menu. 🙂

    Reply
    • 12.29.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Couldn’t agree more Shelley – who doesn’t love bacon?! So glad to hear that you loved the pasta & we’re able to use fresh herbs from your garden!

      Reply