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This recipe for butternut squash pasta is linguine in a creamy butternut squash sauce, topped with chicken, bacon and herbs. An easy and delicious dinner that’s perfect for fall!
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Pasta is my go-to meal choice around here these days, partially because I know that my entire family will happily eat it any night of the week! I took our usual favorite, chicken pasta, and gave it some fall flavors to create this butternut squash pasta. Best of all, this meal is on the table in less than half an hour, and the delightfully creamy sauce is made with just 3 ingredients! How can you go wrong with that?
For this butternut squash pasta, you’ll need butternut squash puree. Now, on a busy weeknight when I’m scrambling to get dinner on the table, I just don’t have time to cook and puree butternut squash. I discovered frozen squash puree at the grocery store, which is a HUGE timesaver, simply thaw and go! If you’d like to make your own butternut squash puree, simply steam the cubed and peeled squash, then give it a whir in the food processor until it’s smooth. You can even freeze some of your homemade puree for another night. I’ve made this pasta with both fresh and frozen puree, and it’s fabulous either way.
I use Barilla® Classic Blue Box linguine pasta in this recipe, it comes out perfectly every time! You could use any type of long Barilla pasta, such as spaghetti or fettuccine if that’s what you have on hand. I always have a few boxes of Barilla pasta in my pantry, it’s an essential kitchen staple for me and provides balanced nutrition for our healthy lifestyle. I love when I can feed my family happily and healthfully!
I buy my Barilla pasta at Target, in the aisle with the pasta and sauces. They always have a great selection and I often let the kids pick out a box of their favorite shape of Barilla pasta too!
This butternut squash pasta recipe is so simple to make. The cooked pasta is mixed with a combination of butternut squash puree, a touch of cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese for a creamy and flavorful sauce that the whole family will adore. The pasta is topped with sliced chicken, bacon and a sprinkling of parsley. You can either cook up some chicken breasts while the pasta is boiling, or use leftover or rotisserie chicken for an even speedier meal.
We will be eating this butternut squash pasta all throughout the colder months, it’s the perfect way to showcase winter squash! The flavor combination of the Barilla pasta, creamy sauce, and savory chicken and bacon just can’t be beat. Make sure to check out the Barilla website for more product information and tons of great recipes, I see a few that I can’t wait to try. You can also grab a discount through the Cartwheel app until 10/29 to save 5% on Barilla pasta and sauce. What’s your favorite go-to easy dinner?
Butternut Squash Pasta with Chicken
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dry Barilla Classic Blue Box linguine pasta
- 1 pound of cooked chicken breasts (grilled, roasted, rotisserie, etc), sliced
- 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree (fresh frozen or canned). If using frozen puree, thaw before use.
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; prepare the pasta according to package instructions, cooked to al dente.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, and return it to its cooking pot.
- Place the pot over medium heat and add the butternut squash puree, heavy cream, parmesan cheese. Stir to coat the pasta evenly; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is heated through and is starting to thicken.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, add the cooking liquid, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Arrange the chicken and bacon over the top of the pasta and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
To make fresh butternut squash puree, steam 2 cups cubed peeled squash until tender then puree in a food processor with 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt to taste.
Looks delicious. I love the simple bold flavors.
I had the best time watching your video for this recipe with my 4 1/2 year old grandson. We talked about all the ingredients as you put them in – ohhh pasta, yum bacon, etc. This looks so easy I bet he could help me make it – and it looks so good I would serve it to company. Thanks Sara!
Such a beautiful dish! Love butternut pasta sauce and with that beautiful chicken and bacon, it’s very much a yes please!
Well that’s the prettiest plate of pasta I’ve seen for ages. I could just dig my fork into it now!
Where did you find the puree?
My store sells it in the freezer section with the frozen veggies, it comes in boxes like this my store typically has 2-3 brands: http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/frozen-vegetables/gourmet-boxed/winter-squash
I just had this at a restaurant!!! They used bow tie pasta and added spinach leaves as garnish. Also, be careful about the bacon amount. We each had a heaping tablespoon of bacon on top and it was too much, way too salty. A heaping teaspoon would have been more than enough. Otherwise, a great dish.