Pasta with Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta

I thought I would toss up a post before breakfast. It's kind of like tossing up a prayer, but my blog posts don't quite make it to heaven. Either way, I thought I would take advantage of both of my boys watching "Toot and Puddle" AT THE SAME TIME. Van isn't much of a TV watcher, which is just too bad. I once had a pediatrician very arrogantly tell me that his 18 month old had never watched even one second of TV. And I then told him that someday, he would wake up and his toddler would be having a TV binge and he would be watching "Girls Gone Wild". I actually didn't say that to him, but that's what I was thinking. Anyways, here is a delightful recipe. After this, I am going to start breakfast. I am thinking peanut butter pancakes. It's how I am sneakily convincing Jack to like peanut butter. What kind of self-respecting child doesn't like peanut butter?


Last winter, I had a pizza at Pizzeria 712 that was just like this pasta. Butternut squash, rosemary, caramelized onions and bacon. It was super delicious. Ever since then, I have wanted to make a pasta version of it and I pulled it off. In all honesty, this was better than the pizza. The cream pulls all the flavors together so nicely. And I like the milder flavor of the pancetta instead of bacon. If you can't find pancetta, use bacon or get rid of it all together and go sans meat. And do me a favor, spring for the fresh rosemary. It makes a big difference. Plus, fresh rosemary keeps in the fridge for a week or two. So you can use the extras for scrambled eggs or rolls.


Speaking of herbs, you will notice the bright green leaves on the pasta. That's chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Chopped fresh parsley makes the biggest difference in a dish with the color and the flavor. And for food bloggers, a little sprinkling of fresh green parsley makes your food look prettier in pictures. When you do your grocery shopping, grab a bunch of flat-leaf parsley for $1 and add it to your finished food all week. It is like the cherry on top.




1 Tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lb pasta of your choice
4 cups chopped butternut squash
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems and minced, about 1/3 cup
4 oz pancetta (about 10 thin slices), chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

In a small skillet, combine the olive oil, red onions and salt. Set over low heat and cover, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 hours. Once the onions are cooked down and browned, remove from pan and onto a plate and set aside.

In a small skillet over medium high heat, add the pancetta. Saute until browned and then pour onto a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

In a large pot of salted water over high heat, boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the butternut squash and rosemary. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Gently stir in caramelized onions. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour in heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cooked pasta and pancetta. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield 6 servings.

Rookie's Notes: Be sure that you gently stir in the ingredients after the squash is cooked. The squash is soft and can fall apart.