Bacon Pasta

Table of Contents

1. Bacon Pasta Ingredients
2. Substitutions And Additions
3. How To Make This Bacon Pasta Recipe
4. How To Serve This Garlic Bacon Pasta
5. Storing This Pasta With Bacon Recipe
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. More Recipes You’ll Love
8. JUMP TO RECIPE

Bacon pasta is one of life’s great pleasures, and it just doesn’t get any better than this! The easy, one-pot pasta recipe is the perfect combination of crispy bacon and soft noodles topped off with a homemade cheesy sauce.

Bacon Pasta Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

PASTA: You can use any type of pasta noodle that you like in this tasty recipe. If you want a smaller noodle, you can use rotini, bowties, shells, or macaroni.

If you want to switch things up, you could also use a long pasta noodle such as spaghetti or fettuccine.

BACON: You can make your own bacon and chop it up into pieces yourself, or you can use a store-bought package of bacon bits.

HEAVY CREAM: For thicker and creamier pasta, stick with heavy cream. If you want it to be a bit lighter, you can also use whole, 2%, or low-fat milk.

PARMESAN: If the grocery store is out of parmesan, or the price is a bit too high, try Pecorino or Grana Padano.

Pecorino might be a bit salty, so you may want to decrease the salt in the recipe a little. Grana Padano will melt really nicely into your pasta and has a nutty, mild flavor.

PEAS: If you want to make a Cheesecake Factory copycat carbonara recipe, try adding some peas! This recipe is similar to the hit classic.

SPICE: Add a little bit of a kick to this creamy pasta dish with a dash of red pepper flakes.

How To Make This Bacon Pasta Recipe

Let’s walk through the steps to cook the pasta to al dente perfection and top it with the creamy sauce and smoky bacon.

STEP ONE: Fill a 4 to 5-quart stock pot with water and two teaspoons of table salt. Heat the salted water on medium-high heat.

Once the water comes to a low rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

STEP TWO: In a 10 to 12-inch skillet, over medium heat to medium-high heat, cook the diced 14 strips of bacon until completely cooked and browned.

Remove the bacon only to a plate or bowl lined with a paper towel, but leave the bacon drippings in the pan.

STEP THREE: Pour the excess bacon fat into a heat-safe bowl. If possible, try to keep the crunchy bacon bits in the bottom of the pan.

STEP FOUR: Reduce the heat to low heat, and return the skillet to the heat. 

STEP FIVE: Using a whisk, add the minced garlic and sauté for 1½ to 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

STEP SIX: Continue whisking and slowly add the heavy cream and the whole milk.

Whisk continually until the milk reaches a very low simmer, being sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet to release all the delicious bacon bits.

STEP SEVEN: Continue to whisk and evenly sprinkle the ¾ cup of parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, and onion powder.

Remove the skillet from the heat and continue to whisk.

STEP EIGHT: Using a wooden spoon, stir in the cooked pasta until it is evenly coated.

STEP NINE: Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and cooked crumbled bacon evenly over the top of the pasta.

STEP TEN: Sprinkle the fresh parsley over the top of the pasta before serving.

STEP ELEVEN: Serve immediately. 

How To Serve This Garlic Bacon Pasta

Plan to enjoy this easy pasta dinner on busy weeknights when time is short.

Add our tasty garlic bread or cheesy pull-apart bread on the side, along with a simple Caesar salad.

We absolutely love bacon pasta recipes for dinner. If you want a couple more easy bacon pasta recipes, our carbonara pasta and bacon mac and cheese will not disappoint! 

Storing This Pasta With Bacon Recipe

We’ve got you covered with simple guidelines to keep your dish fresh and delicious for longer.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re looking to plan ahead, you can partially prepare this dish by cooking the pasta and bacon in advance.

Store the cooked pasta and bacon separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

When ready to enjoy, simply reheat the bacon and toss it with the creamy sauce and any remaining ingredients for a quick and satisfying meal.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: Leftover pasta can be frozen for up to three months. However, heavy cream in the pasta sauce does not tend to thaw well and may change the consistency.

REHEATING: When reheating the pasta, the stovetop method is recommended for optimal results. However, if you’re short on time, you can use the microwave.

Place the desired portion in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or wrap, and reheat in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.

Be sure to monitor closely to prevent overcooking or uneven heating.

We’re confident this is the best bacon pasta recipe you’ll ever make and the only one you’ll ever need again. Perfectly creamy with all the goodness of parmesan cheese, salty bacon, and noodles that will fill all the bellies, you’ll be reaching for this easy recipe whenever you need a quick weeknight dinner!

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