Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon and Crispy Sage - the ultimate bowl of comfort to keep you cozy all winter long. Quick, easy, and on the table in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
My favorite dishes are ones that have a perfect, balanced combination of textures and flavors. This Creamy Butternut Squash is big on both.
Creamy - A luscious, decadent sauce that is ultra-smooth clinging to every noodle. Pureed butternut squash is so creamy. Add to that butter and cream and you’ve got a heavenly sauce that you might just want to eat with a spoon.
Crunchy – Topped with bits of bacon that have been sautéed until perfectly crunchy.
Crispy – Crispy sage (!) sprinkled on top.
Chewy – From perfectly cooked al dente linguine.
Slightly Sweet – Oven roasting the butternut squash deepens and really brings out its flavor.
Salty – From the bacon to the perfectly salted pasta.
Smoky – Bacon sprinkled on top adds the perfect complement of smoky flavor to balance the sweetness of the butternut squash.
Savory and fragrant – Just a little sautéed onion and garlic, as well as sage, develops the flavor without overpowering the delicate flavor of the butternut squash.
Umami – That all important secret flavor- The Yummy Factor – from the parmesan cheese and chicken bouillon.
This recipe for this Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta was inspired by the flavors in my Butternut Squash Ravioli. My kids loved it so much, I wanted to turn it into a pasta sauce that could be ready in the time it takes to boil pasta. My son thinks it’s the best pasta he’s ever had! And it’s a good thing - I’ve been testing and tweaking this recipe for several months.
I’ve used oven roasted butternut squash as the base of this sauce. I love how roasting brings out the sweetness and deepens the flavor of the squash, almost caramelizing it. I also love how easy it is to roast the squash. Check out my step-by-step tutorial on how to make butternut squash puree. Simply cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and bake for an hour. It comes out perfectly cooked and the skin comes off so easily.
I also tested this recipe by peeling and cubing the squash, then sautéing it and boiling it until soft. Three reasons I don’t like this method:
I don’t have the patience for doing all that work by hand when the oven can do it all for me.
I didn’t like the taste and texture as much as the oven roasted squash.
It takes too much time to go through all this process at dinner time. Yes, you could make the sauce in advance, but with some butternut squash puree in the freezer or a can in the cupboard, you can finish this Creamy Butternut Squash sauce by the time the pasta is done boiling. You can even substitute canned pumpkin for the butternut squash puree.
To make the Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta, sauté the chopped bacon over medium to medium high heat until crisp. Stir in the chopped sage and toss to coat. Remove with a slotted spoon.
You can use the same pan, if you like, to make the sauce. But if the bacon left anything too browned in the pan, I like to rinse it out so it doesn’t make the sauce bitter. Add butter to the pan and sauté the chopped onion and garlic. When it’s soft and translucent, add the butternut squash puree and stir it around for a minute. Then add the cream and chicken broth. I always use water and bouillon for the broth. It heightens the flavor, and I can have the strength I choose. When it comes to a simmer, stir in the parmesan cheese until melted. Remove from heat and toss with hot, buttered pasta. Top with the bacon and sage.
Jump to Section
Recipe
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon and Crispy Sage
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine or other pasta (454g)
- 2 tablespoons butter (1oz, 28g)
- 6 ounces bacon chopped (170g)
- ½ cup chopped sage
- 2 tablespoons butter (1oz, 28g)
- ½ onion chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 ½ cups butternut squash puree (11.25oz, 319g)
- 1 cup heavy cream (8oz, 227g)
- 1 cup chicken broth (8oz, 227g) or 1 cup water and 1 bouillon cube
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (2oz, 57g)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons butter. Salt to taste.
- Sauté the chopped bacon over medium to medium high heat until crisp. Stir in the chopped sage and toss to coat. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- You can use the same pan, if you like, to make the sauce. But if the bacon left anything too browned in the pan, I like to rinse it out so it doesn’t make the sauce bitter.
- Add butter to the pan and sauté the chopped onion and garlic over medium to medium-high heat until it is soft and translucent.
- Add the butternut squash puree and stir it around for a minute.
- Add the cream and chicken broth (or water and bouillon).
- When it comes to a simmer, stir in the parmesan cheese until melted.
- Remove from heat and toss with hot, buttered pasta.
- Top with the bacon and sage.
- Serve immediately. As the pasta sits the sauce will thicken.
Notes
- I always use water and bouillon for the broth. It heightens the flavor, and I can have the strength I choose.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I just love using veggie purees for sauces. It's unbelievably creamy, but on the healthier side at the same time. With bacon and crispy sage added to the mix, there's no going wrong! Hope you have a fabulous week ahead, Kelly 🙂
Kelly
I haven't tried other veggie purees, but now you've got the wheels turning in my head. I've just mentally pureed about 10 different veggies. This could be another fun experiment! The bacon and crispy sage really take this pasta to the wow level. Thanks so much, Dawn! 🙂
Ron
Butternut squash and winter squash, in general, are just gaining popularity over this way. We have to order them from our grönsaksförsäljare (veggie seller) and we have to take the lot. We have just ordered this past Saturday so I know what we'll be making first with the soon to arrive squash. I've had BN squash ravioli and soup many times, but never thought to put them to together. Brilliant job Kelly and thanks for sharing.
Kelly
So glad you'll be able to enjoy squash for the season. There are so many lovely recipes to enjoy it this time of year. I've had so many requests for the butternut squash ravioli that I wanted to find the quickest, easiest way to enjoy the same flavors in a pasta dish. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much, Ron!
Marcellina
What a fantastic and unusual pasta dish! I absolutely love it! This will be on my dinner table this week. Thanks for sharing!
Kelly
It has a lovely flavor. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much, Marcellina!
2pots2cook
Kelly this is brilliant ! You made my day, really ! Thank you so much !
Kelly
Thank you very much! We love this dish!
mimi rippee
I'd rather eat this than any cake or pie! Fabulous flavors. Whole foods sells pumpkin puree in aseptic packages, and it's super good. I know they also sell sweet potato. Now I need to go to one to see if they have butternut squash puree, although pumpkin would work also. Can't wait to make this!
Kelly
Thanks so much, Mimi! It's very satisfying, that's for sure! Pumpkin puree would work perfectly in this recipe.
sherry
everything is better with bacon.:) cheers sherry
Kelly
I agree! Thanks so much, Sherry!
sherry
this is making me hungry kelly. it sounds so delicious. cheers sherry
Kelly
It's wonderful! Thank you, Sherry!