Roasted Squash "Carbonara" Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Nov. 02, 2018
20151123-squash-bacon-eggs-vicky-wasik-4.jpg
A pasta-inspired vegetable dish. Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Adding more olive oil to the pork after cooking introduces a fresh olive oil flavor.
  • Vinegar offsets the pork's richness, while turning its fat into a warm vinaigrette.

This sweet roasted squash side dish is topped with all the components of a classic carbonara—egg, crispy pork, grated cheeses, and black pepper—but presented very differently from the famed Roman sauce.

Recipe Facts

Active: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds (1.75kg) red-skinned and/or green-skinned kabocha squash, trimmed, seeded, and sliced 3/4 inch thick

  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 ounces (110g) diced pancetta, guanciale, or bacon

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) each minced fresh flat-leaf parsley and chives

  • Yolks from 2 large hard-boiled eggs, finely crumbled, whites reserved for another use (like snacking)

  • Grated Pecorino Romano and/or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, toss sliced squash with 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in even layers on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, combine pork with 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil and thyme, if using, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until pork is crisp and fat has rendered, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and discard thyme. Stir in red wine vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil, and parsley and chives. Keep vinaigrette warm.

  3. Using a thin metal spatula, lift squash from baking sheets. Arrange on a serving platter. Spoon warm vinaigrette on top. Garnish with crumbled egg yolks and grated cheese and grate more fresh black pepper on top. Serve.

Special Equipment

2 rimmed baking sheets, thin metal spatula

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
286 Calories
24g Fat
12g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 286
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 106mg 35%
Sodium 302mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 12mg 60%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 611mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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