Pasta with Bacon, Gruyere Cheese Sauce and Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

Recently my son thought it would be fun to buy a butternut squash. I want to encourage him to be excited about all foods even though I was dreading figuring out what to make with butternut squash. For some reason, the thick skin and shape feels very intimidating even though it shouldn't be. 

On a random day with no other ideas for dinner, I decided to tackle the butternut squash once and for all. I found some bacon and cheese in my fridge to add to the mix. It came together surprisingly easy and it was delicious.

​As autumn approaches and you're looking for butternut squash recipes, I hope you'll try this one:

Bacon, Cheese and Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

2 small or 1 large butternut squash
1 package of pasta of your choice
1 package of bacon
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
Dash of nutmeg
Dried sage
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and Black pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese 
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a big pot of well salted water over medium heat.
2. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the butternut squash to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and dried sage.
4. Roast the butternut squash for 40-45 minutes until cooked through and starting to caramelize. Remove the squash and place in a bowl or storage container.
5. Place a big pot of well salted water over medium heat. When the water comes to a boil, add your pasta and cook per the package instructions. Drain the pasta and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
6. Using the same parchment-lined baking sheet that the squash was cooked in, line the slices of bacon on a single layer. Lower the heat of the oven to 400 degrees and cook for 15 minutes or until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy.
7. If you're like me and try to use as few pots and pans as possible in the kitchen, you can make the cheese sauce in the pasta pot. To make the cheese sauce, heat the chicken broth, lemon juice and garlic. Mix the cheese and cornstarch together and slowly add to the chicken broth mixture while whisking vigorously. Season with salt, pepper and a couple dashes of nutmeg.
8. To assemble, stir the pasta and cheese sauce together. Put the pasta on a plate and top with butternut squash, chopped up bacon and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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