Tasty roasted butternut, bacon and sage pasta bake recipe

Name: Tasty roasted butternut, bacon and sage pasta bake recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1/2 butternut squash (about 600g), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces; 125 g smoked bacon lardons; 2 tsp. olive oil; 2 tsp. dried sage; 40 g butter; 40 g plain flour; 400 mL semi-skimmed milk; 50 g Parmesan, grated 300g rigatoni pasta; 300 g rigatoni pasta; Small handful sage leaves, larger ones shredded (or use 1tsp dried sage); 125 g mozzarella, torn

Creamy and comforting, this pasta bake is a hug in a bowl. Mashing butternut squash into the cheesy sauce balances the richness, and its sweetness goes wonderfully with earthy sage.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 16 May 2025

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best pasta bake recipes roast butternut, bacon and sage pasta bake

This pasta bake is a delicious way to celebrate the flavours of sage!

With its strong aroma and minty, slightly bitter flavour, sage is never used raw and a little goes a long way (especially as it can withstand long cooking times without losing flavour). Bought fresh as downy leaves or dried and chopped, it is packed with a good dose of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, the unsung hero of cardiovascular and bone health. It’s rich in antioxidants and can help support your brain and improve memory function. It’s antimicrobial properties are also marked, and often find their way into household cleaning products. As a member of the mint family, sage makes a surprisingly delicious herbal tea, sweetened with a dose of honey and a squeeze of lemon.

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Yields:

4 serving(s)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Cal/Serv:

727

Ingredients

1/2
butternut squash (about 600g), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
125 g
smoked bacon lardons
2 tsp.
olive oil
2 tsp.
dried sage
40 g
butter
40 g
plain flour
400 ml
semi-skimmed milk
50 g
Parmesan, grated
300g rigatoni pasta
300 g
rigatoni pasta
Small handful sage leaves, larger ones shredded (or use 1tsp dried sage)
125 g
mozzarella, torn

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. On a baking tray, mix the butternut squash, bacon, oil and dried sage. Loosely cover with foil and roast for 30min, stirring halfway, until tender.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium pan over low heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 30sec. Remove pan from heat and gradually mix in milk to make a smooth sauce. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick (the mixture will need to boil). Stir in most of the Parmesan and check seasoning.
3. Step 3Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to pack instructions, until just al dente. Reserve a ladle of the cooking water, then drain and return pasta to the pan (off heat). Remove half the squash (avoiding the bacon) to a bowl and mash. Stir mashed squash into the sauce then mix sauce into the pasta, adding a little of the reserved cooking water, if needed, to loosen.
4. Step 4Spoon pasta mixture into a rough 2-litre ovenproof dish and top with the remaining butternut squash and bacon, sage leaves, mozzarella and reserved Parmesan. Cook in oven for 25min, until golden. Serve.

If you're catering for vegetarians, use Italian hard cheese (rather than Parmesan) and just omit the bacon.

If you don't have time to bake this pasta in the oven, simply stir through the cheeses, bacon and all the butternut squash. Fry off the sage leaves in a little oil, until they are crispy.

If you're a fan of this pasta bake, then we have lots to try.