# Butternut Squash Banza Pasta with Bacon, Hazelnuts and Roasted Red Onions > Sweet roasted butternut squash makes a velvety sauce for chickpea pasta, with smoky bacon, toasted hazelnuts and plenty of parsley on top. Roasted red onions bring caramelized edges and a little tang alongside—a satisfying winter bowl with enough crunch and brightness to keep it lively. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/butternut-squash-pasta-with-bacon-roasted-red-onion-hazelnuts - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2023-01-19 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, dairy-free ![Butternut Squash Banza Pasta with Bacon, Hazelnuts and Roasted Red Onions](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2Fb6ef81f2815f311c.jpg) ## Roasted Butternut Squash Sauce Roasting concentrates the squash's sweetness, while olive oil and hot water blend it into a creamy sauce without dairy. Lemon keeps the finished pasta from tasting overly sweet. ### Ingredients - 1½ lb peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes - 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided - ¾–1¼ cups hot water, as needed - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste - ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the squash and unpeeled garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet with space between the squash pieces. 2. Roast, turning the squash once, until completely tender and lightly browned, 30–40 minutes. Check the garlic after 20 minutes and remove it when soft. 3. Squeeze the garlic from its skins into a blender. Add the squash, remaining tablespoon olive oil and ¾ cup hot water. Blend until completely smooth, venting the lid safely for steam. 4. Blend in the lemon juice. Add more hot water a little at a time until the sauce falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon. Taste and adjust salt and acidity. 5. Transfer to a wide saucepan and keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally. ### Notes - The sauce should be slightly looser than the desired finished coating; chickpea pasta absorbs liquid quickly. ## Banza Pasta Short, ridged chickpea pasta catches the thick squash sauce. Finishing it briefly in the sauce gives an even coating without overcooking it. ### Ingredients - 12 oz gluten-free Banza short pasta, such as gemelli or rotini - to taste kosher salt for the cooking water - ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water, as needed ### Instructions 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta and cook according to the package, stirring gently and checking early for a tender but firm center. 2. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain promptly. Avoid leaving the cooked pasta standing in the colander. 3. Add the pasta to the warm squash sauce and fold gently over low heat for 30–60 seconds. Loosen with reserved cooking water, a splash at a time, until glossy and generously coated. 4. Taste for salt and serve immediately. ### Notes - Use plain hot water instead of pasta water if the cooking liquid is very thick or foamy. ## Crisp Bacon Smoky, salty bacon contrasts with the sweet squash. Keeping it separate until serving preserves its crisp edges. ### Ingredients - 8 oz gluten-free thick-cut bacon ### Instructions 1. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. 2. Bake at 400°F for 15–22 minutes, checking early, until the fat is rendered and the edges are browned and crisp. 3. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, cut crosswise into roughly ¾-inch pieces. ### Notes - Keep the bacon tray below the vegetables in the oven, and handle the hot rendered fat carefully. ## Roasted Red Onions Thick onion wedges develop browned edges while staying soft and sweet inside. A small splash of vinegar adds contrast to the rich pasta. ### Ingredients - 2 medium red onions - 1½ tablespoons olive oil - ½ teaspoon kosher salt - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar ### Instructions 1. Peel the onions and cut each into 8 wedges, leaving a little root attached to hold the layers together. 2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet with a cut side down. 3. Roast at 400°F for 30–40 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges. 4. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar while hot and gently turn to coat. Serve alongside the pasta. ## Toasted Hazelnuts and Parsley Hazelnuts add buttery crunch, while generous parsley gives the sweet, rich sauce a fresh finish. ### Ingredients - ⅓ cup raw hazelnuts - ½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves ### Instructions 1. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant and golden in spots. 2. Tip into a clean towel and rub off any loose skins. Let cool, then chop coarsely. 3. Roughly tear or chop the parsley just before serving. Keep it separate from the nuts until plating. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The squash, onions and bacon share one oven temperature. Cooking the pasta last protects its texture and keeps the sauce glossy. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel and cut the squash and onions; prepare separate trays for the squash, onions and bacon. 2. 0:15 — Start roasting the vegetables. Add the bacon on a lower rack, staggering it if oven space is limited. 3. 0:20 — Toast and chop the hazelnuts; wash and dry the parsley. Bring a large pot of water toward a boil. 4. 0:35 — Check the garlic and bacon and remove them when ready. Turn the vegetables and rotate trays as needed. 5. 0:45 — Once the squash is completely tender, blend the sauce and keep it warm. Finish the onions with vinegar. 6. 0:50 — Cook the pasta, chop the bacon and tear the parsley. 7. 1:00 — Fold the pasta into the sauce, adjust the consistency and plate immediately with the toppings and onions. ### Notes - Allow a few extra minutes if crowded oven trays slow browning. ## Plating A generous coating of squash sauce creates the base, while toppings added at the end keep their color and crunch. ### Instructions 1. Divide the sauced pasta among four warm, shallow bowls. 2. Scatter bacon, hazelnuts and parsley over each bowl, leaving some orange-coated pasta visible around the edges. 3. Serve the roasted red onions on a separate warm platter or beside the pasta. ## Leftover Path Separate storage keeps the crunchy toppings from softening. Gentle reheating with added water restores the squash sauce as the pasta absorbs moisture. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate pasta, bacon and onions in separate airtight containers within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days. Store parsley refrigerated and keep the cooled hazelnuts airtight at room temperature. 2. Reheat the pasta gently in a covered saucepan with a few tablespoons of water, folding occasionally and adding more water until the sauce loosens and the pasta is steaming hot. 3. Recrisp the bacon in a 350°F oven and warm the onions alongside it. Add the bacon, nuts and parsley only after reheating. ### Notes - Extra squash sauce can be frozen separately for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator and whisk in water while reheating. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.