Easy Dinner Ideas: Pancetta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta
This Pancetta, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Kale Pasta recipe is sponsored by Mueller’s® Pasta. The opinions and text are my own.
This easy pancetta and butternut pasta recipe is ideal to enjoy any time as a lunch or dinner.
What I love about this pancetta pasta meal is that you can get it on the table from start to finish in about 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for those needing an easy meal solution for a busy weeknight.
When making pasta, you only need a few easy-to-find ingredients to create a flavorful meal that everyone will love. For my pasta, I enjoy using Mueller’s® Pasta, as it’s made with real, simple ingredients and gives me a consistent taste and versatility every time.
My family is a big fan of pasta night, and Mueller’s Pasta is always there for us. When I’m picking up ingredients for the week, I’m always looking for the best quality and flavor because there’s nothing worse than spending time on a meal, only to have an ingredient let you down.
Mueller’s Pasta is truly set apart as the perfect pasta choice, made with high-quality durum wheat and filtered water. That’s it, no fillers, no preservatives, just beautiful flavor.
I want to make sure that my family is able to sit down to a tasty meal and not have to worry about what crazy ingredients are in the foods I’m serving, and when I’m using Mueller’s Pasta, that’s one less thing I have to worry about!
Visit Mueller’s Pasta on Instagram and Facebook for more recipe inspiration and information. Find Mueller’s Pasta at your local Kroger! I’m at my Kroger almost every day, and every time you’ll find me walking out with everything I need and then some. To find a local Kroger near you, visit them here.
Y’all it’s fall! This recipe is completely putting me in the fall mood! Full of butternut squash, kale, roasted gorgeous garlic, and crispy pancetta all happily topping off a pile of spaghetti.
Other tasty idea combinations are:
- A mix of gourmet mushrooms
- Zucchini and yellow squash
- Seared chicken with roasted bell pepper and zucchini
- Make it spicy with tomatoes and chili peppers
- Acorn squash and shallots
This fall pancetta and butternut squash pasta is simple, hearty, and an all-around winner for everyone.
I’m a big advocate for always making each recipe you recreate your own. If you prefer a certain cut of pasta over another, different vegetables because of the season, or maybe you want to add in different proteins, then by all means do it and make the dish yours. (Mueller’s products are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes!)
Recipes are a great reference point and are used as guidance, but with this recipe, you can make my version, or sub in your favorites: make it spicy, make it creamy, or make it however you like.
What you’ll need:
- Mueller’s Spaghetti Pasta
- Pancetta or diced smoky bacon
- Butternut squash
- Fresh kale leaves
- Garlic cloves
- Lemon juice and zest
- White wine or chicken broth
- Olive Oil
- Grated asiago or parmesan cheese
- Toasted walnuts
How to Make Pancetta and Butternut Pasta:
Step One:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add in Mueller’s Spaghetti Pasta and cook according to directions. Once cooked, drain and set aside ready to serve.
Step Two:
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil.
- Place the pancetta in the skillet and saute for a few minutes, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is starting to turn golden.
Step Three:
- Add in the minced garlic, and saute for about a minute, then add in the diced butternut squash to cook just until it’s starting to soften, but don’t overcook until it’s completely soft.
- Pour in the white wine or chicken broth, and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Squeeze in the lemon juice along with the torn kale leaves, allowing the kale to wilt.
- Grate over the cheese and turn the oven on to broil.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step Four:
- Transfer the butternut mixture to the middle of the oven and allow to brown and crisp up for about 5 – 8 minutes.
- Remove the butternut mixture from the oven and toss with the cooked Mueller’s Spaghetti Pasta. Serve with additional grated cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Garnish with toasted walnuts.
Time Saving Tips and Tricks:
- Buy the pre-diced butternut squash in the produce section.
- Use already minced garlic in the jar, usually found near the produce section.
- Toast the walnuts ahead of time and keep them for up to a week in an air-tight container.
- Can’t find pancetta? I find mine in the deli section or use smoky bacon and dice.
Other tasty easy to make recipes:
Make This Fall Pancetta and Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe:
Pancetta with Roasted Butternut and Kale Pasta
Easy to make and a perfect go to, weeknight meal, Pancetta with Butternut, Kale and Garlic Pasta.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Mueller's Spaghetti Pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced (or diced smoky bacon)
- 2 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces butternut squash, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- Juice of a lemon
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Freshly grated asiago or parmesan cheese, to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add in the Mueller's Spaghetti Pasta and cook according to directions, about 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While waiting on the pasta to cook, get started on the pancetta butternut mixture. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil and add in the pancetta, cook until the pancetta is starting to turn golden and is crispy. Add in the minced garlic, cook for about a minute, then continue to add the diced butternut squash and cook until the butternut squash is just starting to become tender.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice, and add the white wine, allowing to deglaze the pan, add in the chopped kale and turn down the heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes until the kale starts to wilt. Grate over the asiago or parmesan cheese to your liking.
- Turn on the broiler, and carefully transfer the butternut mixture in the oven-proof skillet to the middle of the oven. Cook until the cheese is melted and the kale and butternut squash are starting to turn golden - about 5 - 8 minutes
- In a dry skillet, add the walnut pieces and toast for 2 - 3 minutes until just starting to brown.
- Once the pancetta butternut mixture is finished, remove it from the oven. serve over pasta, add more grated cheese, and a squeeze of more lemon if desired, then garnish with a scattering of toasted walnuts.
Notes
Use other great cuts of Mueller's Pasta if desired.
Make it spicy by adding in 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of crushed pepper.
Kale can be substituted for fresh baby spinach.
To save time, you can buy the butternut squash already diced in your produce section.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 8g
Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.
