Are you searching for a stunning, restaurant-quality pasta dish that is the very essence of autumn in a bowl? A perfect, sophisticated balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors that is as comforting as it is elegant? This incredible, from-scratch Pancetta and Butternut Squash Pasta is a true celebration of the season’s best ingredients, and it’s surprisingly simple to make on a weeknight.
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s a guide to a masterpiece of rustic Italian cooking. We’ll show you how to build layers of incredible flavor, from sweet, caramelized butternut squash and crispy, salty pancetta to earthy kale and sun-dried tomatoes. The final secret is in creating a luscious, glossy sauce without a single drop of cream, using just a splash of starchy pasta water. This is a show-stopping dinner that is sure to impress.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Perfect Autumn Pasta
What makes this Butternut Squash and Pancetta Pasta so spectacular is its perfect, cheffy balance of flavors and its wonderful combination of textures. This dish is a masterclass in the classic Italian trio of sweet, salty, and savory. The sweetness comes from the tender, caramelized butternut squash and the intense pop of sun-dried tomatoes. The saltiness comes from the rich, crispy jewels of pancetta and sharp Parmesan cheese. And the savory, earthy notes from the kale, onion, and herbs balance the entire dish. All of these delicious components are tossed with hearty bucatini pasta and coated in a simple, yet luxurious, glossy pan sauce.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 40 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4-6 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Italian-Style Pasta
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, seasonal ingredients to create its signature sophisticated flavor.
- The “Sweet & Salty” Duo:
- Butternut Squash: The sweet and nutty star of our dish. Sautéing the diced squash in the rendered pancetta fat is the secret to making it incredibly flavorful and beautifully caramelized.
- Pancetta: A classic Italian cured pork belly (think of it as an unsmoked bacon). When you render it in a skillet, it becomes wonderfully crispy and salty, and it releases its flavorful fat, which becomes the delicious, savory foundation of our pasta sauce.
- The Supporting Flavors:
- Kale: A hearty, earthy green that adds a beautiful color and a slightly bitter note that perfectly balances the sweetness and richness of the other ingredients.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These provide a concentrated, chewy, and intensely sweet-tart flavor that adds a wonderful, complex depth to the sauce.
- The Pasta & The “Secret” Sauce Ingredient:
- Bucatini: This is a fantastic and fun pasta shape! It looks like a thick spaghetti, but it has a hollow center running through it, which is perfect for trapping the delicious sauce.
- Starchy Pasta Water: The starchy, salty water left over from cooking your pasta is the magic ingredient that brings the entire dish together, creating a creamy, glossy sauce without any cream.
Pro Tutorial: How to Easily Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash
- Trim: First, use a large, sharp chef’s knife to trim off the top stem and the bottom end of the squash so you have two flat, stable surfaces.
- Separate: Stand the squash up on its wider bottom end and carefully cut it in half, right where the long, thin neck meets the round, bulbous bottom.
- Peel: Now, stand each of the two pieces on one of its flat ends. Use a sturdy vegetable peeler to peel the tough skin away, working in long strips from top to bottom.
- Seed: Cut the round bottom half in two and use a spoon to easily scoop out the seeds and stringy bits.
- Dice: You can now safely and easily cut the peeled squash into uniform, 1/2-inch dice for this recipe.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Fall Pasta
This elegant meal comes together in one skillet while your pasta cooks.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta (and Save That Water!)
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the 1 pound of bucatini and cook according to the package directions until it is perfectly al dente (tender but still has a firm bite).
Crucial Pro Tip: Before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve at least 3 cups of the starchy pasta water. This is a key ingredient for creating your creamy sauce! Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Part 2: Build the Flavor Base
Step 1: In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of salted butter and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once the butter has melted, add the 6 ounces of diced pancetta, the 2 cups of diced butternut squash, and the 1/2 diced red onion. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is golden and crisp and the squash has softened and started to caramelize.
Step 3: Stir in the 1/4 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme, and the 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for one additional minute, until the garlic is very fragrant.
Part 3: Create the Pan Sauce and Finish the Dish
Step 1: Add the 2 cups of chopped kale and approximately half of the grated Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Then, pour in the 1/3 cup of dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any delicious browned bits.
Step 2 (The Secret to a Creamy Sauce!): Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet, along with about 1 cup of your reserved, starchy pasta water. Toss everything together and let it cook for another minute or two, allowing the kale to wilt and the sauce to thicken and cling to the pasta. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add another splash of the pasta water.
Step 3: Squeeze in the juice of 1 fresh lemon and give the pasta a final toss. Adjust the seasoning with any additional salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish the pasta with the 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts, the remaining Parmesan cheese, and some torn fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately, straight from the skillet.
The Best Butternut Squash and Pancetta Pasta
A hearty and flavorful one-pan pasta dish perfect for the fall season. This recipe features bucatini pasta tossed with a savory combination of crispy pancetta, tender butternut squash, and wilted kale. The sauce is created by sautéing the pancetta with squash and onion, then deglazing the pan with white wine and using the starchy pasta water to create a creamy coating. The dish is finished with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces diced pancetta
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- Fresh basil, for topping
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 3 cups of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the pancetta, butternut squash, and onion to the hot skillet. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is golden and crisp and the squash has softened.
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and garlic, and cook for one additional minute until fragrant.
- Add the kale and approximately half of the Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, along with about 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss and cook for another minute or two, allowing the kale to wilt and the sauce to thicken and cling to the pasta. Add more pasta water if needed.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the pasta straight from the skillet, garnished with the toasted pine nuts, the remaining Parmesan cheese, and torn fresh basil.
Notes
- Reserving a generous amount of the starchy pasta water is a key technique for this recipe, as it is used to create the creamy sauce that coats the pasta and vegetables.
- This is a quick, one-pan sauce that comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
- Toasting the pine nuts before garnishing brings out their nutty flavor and adds a nice crunch to the dish.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This elegant pasta dish is at its absolute best when it is served fresh, right after it has been made.
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast weeknight meal, you can get a huge head start by prepping your components in advance. The butternut squash, onion, and kale can all be chopped up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: To reheat the pasta, it is best to do so in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat with a generous splash of broth or water to help loosen up the sauce and bring back its creamy consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of pancetta, this pasta is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of crumbled, browned sweet or hot Italian sausage, or even some salty, crispy bacon.
- Make it a Vegetarian Pasta: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, you can simply omit the pancetta and sauté the vegetables in a bit of extra olive oil. You can add one can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans to the pasta at the very end for an extra boost of protein. Be sure to use vegetable broth if needed.
- Add a Rich, Creamy Finish: For an even more decadent and luscious sauce, you can stir in a few large spoonfuls of heavy cream or mascarpone cheese at the very end, along with the Parmesan.
Enjoy Your New Favorite Fall Pasta!
You’ve just created a truly special pasta dish that is a perfect harmony of sophisticated, restaurant-quality flavor and cozy, comforting textures. This Pancetta and Butternut Squash Pasta is a testament to the power of a simple, technique-driven meal to create something truly extraordinary. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new fall favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an impressive pasta dish!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is pancetta, and how is it different from bacon?
Pancetta is a type of Italian-style bacon that is made from pork belly that has been salt-cured and seasoned (often with black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg), but it is unsmoked. American bacon, on the other hand, is almost always smoked. This gives pancetta a deep, rich, and savory pork flavor without the smoky taste. If you cannot find it, a thick-cut, high-quality bacon is the best substitute.
Q2: What is the secret to a creamy pasta sauce that doesn’t use any heavy cream?
The secret is the starchy pasta water! The water that your pasta has cooked in is full of wonderful, dissolved starches. This starchy water, often called “liquid gold” by Italian chefs, is the perfect, natural emulsifier. When you add a splash of it to your pan with the other fats (from the pancetta and olive oil) and the cheese and toss it vigorously, it helps to create an incredibly creamy, luscious, and glossy sauce that clings perfectly to every noodle.
Q3: What kind of white wine is best for cooking a savory pasta sauce?
You want to use a dry, crisp white wine that you would enjoy drinking. There’s no need for an expensive bottle! A good quality Sauvignon Blanc (as the recipe suggests), a Pinot Grigio, or an unoaked Chardonnay are all fantastic choices. If you prefer to cook without alcohol, you can simply substitute the wine with an equal amount of chicken broth.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of pasta instead of bucatini?
Of course! This rich and hearty sauce is fantastic with any medium to large pasta shape that has plenty of nooks and crannies to catch all the delicious little bits of squash and pancetta. Try it with orecchiette (little ears), shells, fusilli, or rigatoni.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of green instead of kale?
Yes. If you’re not a fan of kale, this dish would also be wonderful with broccoli rabe (which is more bitter) or a few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach, which you can stir in at the very end as it will wilt in just a minute.