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Sage & Butternut Squash Carbonara

November 16, 2023
Think of this as the cool older sister to the well-known Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. This fall-inspired twist on the classic carbonara has a creamy blend of roasted squash, onions and herbs with egg yolks and cheese. It also swaps guanciale for pancetta (traditionalists don’t come for me) and is topped with crispy fried sage, because, why not? It’s luxurious, decadent and everything you want to indulge in during a cozy night in.
Think of this as the cool older sister to the well-known Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. This fall-inspired twist on the classic carbonara has a creamy blend of roasted squash, onions and herbs with egg yolks and cheese. It also swaps guanciale for pancetta (traditionalists don’t come for me) and is topped with crispy fried sage, because, why not? It’s luxurious, decadent and everything you want to indulge in during a cozy night in.
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Think of this as the cool older sister to the well-known Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. This fall-inspired twist on the classic carbonara has a creamy blend of roasted squash, onions and herbs with egg yolks and cheese. It also swaps guanciale for pancetta (traditionalists don’t come for me) and is topped with crispy fried sage, because, why not? It’s luxurious, decadent and everything you want to indulge in during a cozy night in.

Sage & Butternut Squash Carbonara

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Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. Pasta
  • 1 Small Butternut Squash
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion
  • 6 cloves of Garlic
  • 4-5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 6 oz. Pancetta or Bacon
  • Fresh Sage, to garnish
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • ¼ Cup Pecorino Cheese
  • ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese + more to garnish
  • Salt and Pepper
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Begin by preparing your butternut squash. Cut off the stem, then halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Peel and roughly chop half of a yellow onion, and peel the garlic cloves, leaving them whole.
  3. On a baking sheet, arrange the butternut squash halves, onion, garlic, and whole thyme sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender—approximately 45 minutes—you should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork. Once done, remove from oven and allow it to cool. Discard the thyme sprigs.
  4. While that’s cooling, cook pancetta in large skillet until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease.
  5. In the same skillet, add whole sage leaves and cook over medium heat until sage is crispy. Transfer crispy sage to a paper towel. Set aside. Keep rendered fat in the skillet for later.
  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions—removing from the heat just before al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  7. While your water is coming to a boil, whisk together egg yolks, pecorino, parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.
  8. Once the roasted squash has cooled, scoop out its flesh and add to a blender with the roasted onions and garlic. Blend until smooth, adding pasta water gradually, about 1/4 cup.
  9. Slowly whisk in 1 tablespoon of hot pasta water to the egg mixture to temper your eggs.
  10. To a warm skillet (the same one we used for the pancetta and sage) add your cooked pasta and about 2/3 of your squash mixture. Mix well and remove from heat– you want your pan to be warm, but not too hot—add the egg mixture to the pasta, stirring vigorously to prevent scrambling. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water; if the sauce is too thin, add more of your squash mixture.
  11. Once all combined and velvety, mix in the pancetta and serve.
  12. Garnish with crispy fried sage and extra parmesan. Enjoy!

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