Craving a cozy, comforting pasta dish that is absolutely bursting with the delicious flavors of autumn, but only have about 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? This incredible, one-pan Pancetta and Butternut Squash Pasta is your new weeknight hero. The secret to its incredible speed and naturally creamy texture is a brilliant kitchen hack: using shredded butternut squash that melts into a luscious, savory sauce in just minutes!
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s your guide to a sophisticated, restaurant-quality meal that is shockingly simple to make. We’ll show you how to build layers of incredible flavor, from crispy, salty pancetta to sweet, tender butternut squash and fragrant fresh herbs. The final magic happens when you use a splash of starchy pasta water to create a glossy, elegant sauce that clings to every single noodle—all without a drop of heavy cream.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate 30-Minute Fall Pasta
What makes this Butternut Squash and Pancetta Pasta so spectacular is its incredible speed and its perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors. The game-changing technique in this recipe is using shredded butternut squash. Unlike diced squash, which can take 20-30 minutes to become tender, the thin shreds cook in about 5 minutes and break down slightly to create a naturally creamy and sweet sauce. This is perfectly balanced by the salty, crispy pancetta, earthy thyme, and a bright finish of fresh lemon juice. It’s a stunning, satisfying, and unbelievably fast one-pan sauce meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Fast & Flavorful Pasta
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, seasonal ingredients to create its signature sophisticated flavor.
- The Shredded Butternut Squash (The Game-Changing Shortcut!): This is the key to the recipe’s speed and creamy texture.
- How to Prep: The easiest way to shred your peeled and seeded butternut squash is using the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disc attachment on your food processor. This technique creates thin shreds that cook in just 3-5 minutes.
- 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 Pasta & The “Secret” Sauce Ingredient:
- Penne: A sturdy, tubular pasta shape like penne is a fantastic choice for this dish, as its ridges are perfect for catching the light, glossy 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 heavy cream.
- The Flavorings: A simple but elegant combination of sweet red onion, pungent garlic, intensely sweet-tart sun-dried tomatoes, and earthy fresh thyme builds a beautiful, complex flavor in minutes. A final squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens everything up.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Fall Weeknight 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 penne 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 1 cup 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 Dutch oven or a deep 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 shredded 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 3/4 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 for the sauce to bubble and thicken, clinging beautifully to the pasta. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add the remaining 1/4 cup of 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 30-Minute Butternut Squash and Pancetta Pasta
A quick and savory one-pan pasta dish perfect for the fall season. This recipe features penne pasta tossed with crispy diced pancetta and tender, shredded butternut squash. The flavor base is built by cooking the pancetta with garlic and red pepper flakes. The shredded squash is then quickly cooked in the same pan. A simple sauce is created by tossing the cooked pasta with the squash and pancetta, along with a splash of the starchy pasta water, and is finished with grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces penne
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs for al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, peel the butternut squash and shred it on the large holes of a box grater.
- In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil and diced pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the pancetta is lightly browned and crispy.
- Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until lightly toasted.
- Stir in the chopped marjoram, then the shredded squash and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the squash is just tender.
- Add the cooked pasta and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the Dutch oven. Cook, tossing everything together, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pasta is coated with a light sauce. Add more cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Season with more salt if needed. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Shredding the butternut squash on a box grater is a key technique that allows it to cook very quickly, making this a great weeknight meal.
- Reserving the starchy pasta water is crucial for creating the simple pan sauce and helping it cling to the pasta.
- Finishing the al dente pasta in the pan with the other ingredients allows it to absorb all the flavors of the dish.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This elegant pasta dish is at its absolute best when it is served fresh, right after it is 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 can be shredded, and the onion, garlic, and other vegetables can be chopped up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover pasta 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.
- 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 the best and easiest way to shred a butternut squash?
The easiest method by far is to use the shredding disc attachment on your food processor. It will shred the peeled and seeded squash in a matter of seconds. If you don’t have one, the large holes on a standard box grater work perfectly as well—it just requires a bit more elbow grease!
Q2: What is the secret to a creamy pasta sauce without using 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 is pancetta, and is there a good substitute?
Pancetta is a type of Italian-style bacon that is made from pork belly that has been salt-cured but, unlike American bacon, is unsmoked. It has a deep, rich, and savory pork flavor. If you cannot find it, the best substitute would be a thick-cut, high-quality bacon or even some finely diced prosciutto.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of pasta instead of penne?
Of course! This rich and hearty sauce is fantastic with any medium 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 rotini.
Q5: Can I make this dish ahead of time?
This dish comes together so quickly that it is at its absolute best when it is made fresh. However, for a fantastic time-saving trick, you can prepare all your vegetables in advance. Shred the squash, chop the onion and garlic, and wash the kale, and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. This turns the final dish into a true 15-minute meal.