It’s October, and I want to cook ALL the squash! That’s natural, right?! I have already made several pumpkin and spaghetti squash dishes. Butternut squash is delicious this time of year, and it is quite versatile. I had seen versions of butternut squash carbonara on Pinterest, but they all had heavy cream and cheese. Though this recipe is dairy free and gluten free, it is still so creamy and filling! It has a similar taste and texture to macaroni and cheese, but is packed with nutrients from the squash. I know this recipe will be on repeat throughout the Fall!
The South is currently experiencing a scary hurricane, and we are all stuck inside. Because of that, I knew I wanted to cook something comforting for dinner. Thankfully my boys enjoyed it, and we had a nice family dinner, despite the yucky weather.
I would recommend serving this dish as a main course. I feel positive that it would be a hit at a dinner party! Not pregnant, I would pair this with a buttery chardonnay.
Here is the recipe for Creamy Butternut Squash Carbonara, Dairy Free and Gluten Free. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | 1 |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, cut into large (1 inch cube) dice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for the pasta water
- salt
- pepper
- 1 onion sliced very thin
- 8 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 lb gluten free pasta (I used quinoa pasta)
- 1/4 cup coconut cream (full fat coconut milk in the can; use mostly the cream part, rather than the liquid)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil optional
- 8-12 fresh sage leaves optional
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way full with water. Add a couple tablespoons of salt, and some olive oil to the water. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cover a large sheet tray or roasting pan with parchment paper. Lay the cut butternut squash out on the tray, drizzle with 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Toss well. Roast for 35-45 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- While the butternut squash is cooking, cook the bacon pieces. Remove the cooked bacon from the grease, and place onto a plate covered in a paper towel. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Add the onions to the pan with the remaining bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until they are caramelized well. (Mine were almost crunchy). Only stir the onions two to three times as they cook.
- Once the squash has been in the oven for 35 minutes, boil the pasta until al dente. Once done, drain, but keep 1 1/2 cups of pasta water set aside.
- In a blender, add the cooked butternut squash, the coconut cream, 1 spoonful of caramelized onions, and 3/4 cup of pasta water. Blend until smooth. If it is still very thick, add more pasta water and blend again. You want the consistency to be thick, but just slightly liquid so it can be tossed with the pasta. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- This step is OPTIONAL: While making the sauce, heat the coconut oil in a small stainless pan over medium-high heat. Once it is very hot, quickly fry the sage leaves, just a few at a time. Remove and lay on a plate covered with a paper towel. Season with a dash of sea salt.
- Toss the warm pasta with the butternut squash sauce. To serve, top with bacon crumbles, caramelized onions, and a couple fried sage leaves (or use a couple of fresh leaves for garnish if you chose not to fry them).
- *Make-Ahead Tip: -Roast the squash ahead of time, and re-heat before making the sauce.
Made this tonight and we loved it! Great fall recipe.
Oh my gosh- this was so good!! I made it tonight for dinner with a few changes( whole milk instead of coconut cream, whole wheat pasta, and pancetta instead of bacon). My husband developed a bad egg allergy as an adult and he has so missed carbonara- this is a really good substitute! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It is delicious!
Chelsea, thank you for commenting! I’m so happy your family enjoyed it!
Looks super beautiful, Val. I love the colour the squash gives the bread! I like seeing squash in different things besides soup, too!
What an amazing dish…so creamy!!! you could eat the sauce like a soup !!! Does not taste dairy free
Thank you !!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for telling me 🙂