Cavatelli with bacon and pumpkin

Name: Cavatelli with bacon and pumpkin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Cavatelli pasta 11.25 oz; Mantuan pumpkin 1 lb; Sweet Pancetta diced 7 oz; Thyme 2 sprigs; Bay leaves 1 leaf; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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556

Calories per serving

Lactose Free

Energy Kcal 556
Carbohydrates g 70.8
of which sugars g 5.9
Protein g 20.2
Fats g 21.4
of which saturated fat g 6.39
Fiber g 3.14
Cholesterol mg 44
Sodium mg 935

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Cavatelli with pancetta and butternut squash is like bringing a piece of Southern Italy into your home. Really, it's all about those cozy vibes. In Molise and Puglia, shaping each cavatello by hand is a big deal—trust me, they take it seriously. And listen, the texture is something else. It really really grabs onto all that sweet and savory goodness in the sauce.

What makes this dish pop? The way it mixes oven-roasted butternut squash—seasoned with bay leaf and thyme, which is great—and crispy pancetta. I mean, it's like rustic and homey all in one bite. You’ve got the moist squash and salty pork mingling together, making magic. It's not complicated, yet it screams Southern Italian cooking. Honestly, it's a hit among cavatelli pasta recipes, perfect if you love butternut squash pasta dishes.

On a cool fall evening, there's nothing like cavatelli with pancetta and butternut squash. It’s fantastic. It’s the first course you want for Sunday lunch or a quick weeknight dinner. The way the golden roasted squash and homemade cavatelli with pancetta come together gives you a rich, tangy bite that’s pure Southern Italian flavor. Some families sprinkle a bit of chili flakes for that kick, while others just let the tender pasta and sweet squash do their thing.

Here's the deal: making the pasta from scratch turns it into a special little project—totally worth it. It's one of those easy cavatelli recipes that’s like a celebration. You’ve got old-school flavors and it comes together quick. And you know what? It's a real winner among butternut squash and pancetta pasta fans, fitting right in with other traditional Italian pasta dishes from the south. It's the kind of meal that pulls everyone to the table, eager for seconds, savoring every bite. Seriously good stuff.

INGREDIENTS: Cavatelli pasta 11.25 oz (320 g); Mantuan pumpkin 1 lb (450 g); Sweet Pancetta 7 oz (200 g) - diced; Thyme 2 sprigs; Bay leaves 1 leaf; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Cavatelli with bacon and pumpkin

To make cavatelli with pumpkin and bacon, start by preparing the pumpkin: clean the pumpkin by removing the seeds, peel it, and cut it into slices 1, then dice it into cubes about 1/2 inch 2. Take a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and place the pumpkin cubes inside. Season the pumpkin with oil, salt, pepper 3

and flavor with the sprig of thyme and bay leaf 4. Bake the pumpkin cubes in a preheated static oven for 20 minutes at 392°F (in a fan oven at 356°F for 15 minutes). Once the pumpkin has softened, remove it from the oven and set it aside 5. Meanwhile, take care of the cavatelli: place a high-edged pot on the stove, pour in the water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the cavatelli 6 for 7-8 minutes if using fresh pasta; if using dried pasta, you will need to increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes. You can also make fresh pasta yourself by following our Cavatelli recipe.

While the pasta is cooking, place a large pan on the stove, drizzle with a little olive oil, and add the sweet bacon cubes 7. Sauté the bacon for a few minutes until it turns pink, then add the baked pumpkin cubes to the pan 8, mix everything for a moment, and as soon as the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce. Sauté the pasta with the pumpkin and bacon for a few minutes, just enough time to let it absorb the flavors. At this point, your cavatelli with pumpkin and bacon are ready to be served hot 9!

Storage

Enjoy cavatelli with pumpkin and bacon immediately. If you have leftover pasta, you can store it in the refrigerator for one day in an airtight container. Freezing of the finished dish is not recommended, but you can freeze the cooked pumpkin cubes.

Tip

To flavor the pumpkin cubes, you can use other aromatic herbs like rosemary or sage. As an alternative to sweet bacon, you can use smoked bacon cubes for a stronger flavor.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.