Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon
Pasta tossed with a creamy butternut squash sauce and topped with bacon for a flavorful meal.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups butternut squash, chopped (1 medium squash)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 slices bacon
- ½ tsp dried sage
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup coconut or dairy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 12 ozs pasta, preferably a short shape like ziti or penne
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
Instructions
- Cook the squash: Boil a pot of water. Add the butternut squash, boil for 15 minutes or so, until the squash is tender. Drain the squash, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Start boiling water for pasta.
- Cook the bacon: Meanwhile, spray a skillet with oil, and heat it on medium. Add the bacon, and cook until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place on a plate with a paper towel on top. Drain the excess bacon fat from the skillet, and wipe the skillet with a paper towel to get most of the bacon grease out but leaving a bit for flavor. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it into small pieces.
- Get the garlic going: Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and heat on medium. Add the garlic, cook for a minute or so until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the cooked squash to the skillet along with the chicken broth and sage. Bring the broth to a simmer, stir occasionally with a sturdy spoon. As you stir, gradually break up the squash.
- Simmer squash: Let the squash simmer for about 10 minutes, and it will gradually break up into a creamy sauce. When most of stock has been absorbed, gradually stir in the cream to finish the sauce. Keep the sauce warm on low heat as the pasta cooks.
- Start cooking the pasta according to package instructions after you add the squash to the skillet.
- Combine pasta and sauce: When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss immediately with the butternut sauce and the additional tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the cheese.
- Plate the pasta right after tossing with the sauce. Top the pasta with bacon bits and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- We often have coconut cream on hand as a dairy free option, and it works well in this recipe. But you can certainly use regular dairy cream.
- Starting by cooking bacon in the same skillet you will make the sauce is a great way to add a bit of bacon flavor to the dish.
Find it online: https://cookingchatfood.com/pasta-with-creamy-butternut/
