Rocco GizzoI love a classic carbonara, but for fall, I wanted to give it a completely different spin.
My Brown Butter Honeynut Squash Carbonara keeps the crispy guanciale and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, but instead of using eggs, I make the sauce with roasted honeynut squash.
The squash brings a little sweetness, while brown butter and crispy sage give the dish those warm, nutty fall flavors. Then I add mascarpone to make the sauce smooth and glossy.
Everything gets tossed with mezzi rigatoni and finished with crispy guanciale, sage, and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
It’s a fall-inspired pasta that takes some of my favorite elements of carbonara and gives them a seasonal twist.
Pasta
Brown Butter Honeynut Squash Carbonara
A fall twist on carbonara with roasted honeynut squash, brown butter, crispy guanciale, sage, mascarpone, and black pepper tossed with mezzi rigatoni.
Ingredients
- 12 oz mezzi rigatoni
- 2 honeynut squash
- 4 oz guanciale cubed
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- Fresh sage leaves as desired
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Freshly cracked black pepper as needed
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil as needed
- A few tablespoons chicken broth or water for blending the squash
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
- Reserved pasta water as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Prepare the squash: Cut each honeynut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Lightly coat the cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Roast: Place the squash flesh-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for approximately 30–45 minutes, or until the flesh is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Make the purée: Let the squash rest for 5 minutes. Scoop the flesh into a blender, add a drizzle of olive oil and a few tablespoons of chicken broth or water, and blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Render the Guanciale and Brown the Butter
- Cook the guanciale: Add the cubed guanciale to a cold skillet. Cook over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, allowing the fat to slowly render until the guanciale becomes deeply golden and crispy.
- Reserve the fat: Remove the crispy guanciale with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the rendered fat, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
- Toast the pepper: Add a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper to the skillet. Allow the pepper to toast in the warm guanciale fat.
- Brown the butter: Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the fresh sage leaves. Cook gently until the butter browns and develops a nutty aroma. Remove the crispy sage leaves and set aside for serving.
- Cook the pasta: While the butter browns, add the mezzi rigatoni to the boiling salted water. Cook until approximately 3 minutes shy of al dente.
- Emulsify the brown butter: Carefully add a ladle of hot pasta water to the skillet with the brown butter. Stir or toss until the butter and water begin to emulsify.
- Add the pasta: Transfer the pasta directly to the skillet. Toss until the mezzi rigatoni is evenly coated in the brown butter sauce.
- Add the squash: Add the roasted honeynut squash purée and a splash of pasta water. Continue tossing until the pasta is fully coated.
- Finish with mascarpone: Add the mascarpone and some of the reserved crispy guanciale. Toss until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and finish with the remaining crispy guanciale, fried sage leaves, and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Enjoy!
Trust Me On This
Chicken Broth or Water: Add a few tablespoons when blending the squash, using just enough to help create a smooth purée.
Guanciale: Start in a cold skillet and render slowly over medium-low heat. Reserve the crispy pieces and use approximately 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat to build the sauce.
Brown Butter: Add the butter and sage to the toasted black pepper and guanciale fat. Cook gently until the butter browns and develops a nutty aroma.
Pasta Water: Reserve plenty of pasta water. Use it to emulsify the brown butter, loosen the squash purée, and adjust the finished sauce.
Black Pepper: Use a generous amount. Black pepper is an important part of the carbonara-inspired flavor.
Parmigiano Reggiano: Finish each plate with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste.
Serving: Serve immediately while the sauce is smooth and glossy.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Pick your stars and tell me everything.