This Bacon Tomato Pasta is a quick and easy dish perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something delicious but don't have the time to spend hours in the kitchen.
The secret to this dish is the combination of smokey bacon, garlic, and juicy tomatoes, which creates a rich and flavorful sauce that coats every strand of pasta. And it is ready in under 30 minutes!
This simple yet flavorful dish is also incredibly versatile. You can switch up the type of pasta you use, add some extra veggies like spinach or mushrooms, add some extra protein like chicken or shrimp, or spice it up with red chili or red pepper flakes.
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Bacon: Use smoked bacon for the most flavor. It doesn't need to be fancy bacon; you can use turkey bacon if you like.
Onion: I use a brown onion, but you can also use a red, white, or yellow onion.
Garlic: The recipe calls for three cloves of garlic. But as I always say, we measure garlic with our hearts, so add more if you want.
Sugar: This balances the sour edge that you get from a lot of brands of canned tomatoes. Especially important because of the quick cook.
Pasta: I use linguine or spaghetti but feel free to switch the pasta out for your favorite shape.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- To make this a speedy dinner get a pan of water on to boil before you start cooking the sauce. (unless you have an electric kettle)
- Brown the bacon really well before you add the onion. This extra step will add flavor to the finished dish.
- The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt in the pasta water. This assumes you are using a large saucepan and at least 4 quarts of water.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. This helps to finish the sauce.
Why You'll Love This Bacon Tomato Pasta
- It is quick and easy.
- It uses everyday ingredients you probably already have at home.
- The kids love it.
- Everything is better with bacon.
- It is easy to adapt.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Adaptions
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
Add veg: Mushrooms, corn, green beans, carrots, and celery can all be added when adding the garlic. Or add some fresh or frozen spinach when you add the pasta to the sauce.
Add extra protein: If you have some leftover chicken or pork, add that into the sauce at the end of cooking to heat through.
Add seafood: This is delicious with some shrimp thrown in or some squid rings. Cook them in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
Add spice: Stir through chopped chili or some red pepper flakes for a punch of heat.
Serving Suggestions
What to eat with Tomato Bacon Pasta
Perfect on its own, but add some garlic bread or garlic bread pizza and a side salad to complete your meal.
What to drink with Tomato Bacon Pasta
A full-bodied Merlot would be perfect here. It can stand up to the tomatoes and the smoky notes of the bacon. Or if you prefer white wine, go for something like a Verdicchio.
Enjoy x
If you try this Bacon Tomato Pasta, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I really appreciate it, and it helps others to know that the recipe is trustworthy.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.
Get the Recipe
Bacon Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 12 oz pasta -see note 1
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz bacon, diced - see note 2
- 1 onion, finely chopped - see note 3
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped - see note 4
- 14 oz canned crushed tomato
- ½ teaspoon sugar - see note 5
- ¼ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional
- Shredded parmesan
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
To cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of water to the bowl. Add the salt and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet suggests.1 tablespoon salt12 oz pasta
- When cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
While the pasta water is coming to a boil
- Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the diced bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes; reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook for 3 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil12 oz bacon, diced1 onion, finely chopped
- Add the chopped garlic and stir around for 30 seconds. Then add the can of crushed tomatoes. Stir well.3 cloves garlic, finely chopped14 oz canned crushed tomato
- Add in the seasonings and turn the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.½ teaspoon sugar¼ teaspoon dried Italian herbs¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon salt
Finish the dish
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water.
- Gently toss the pasta in the sauce over medium heat for a minute until the pasta is thoroughly coated and combined with the sauce. Add more pasta cooking water if the sauce gets too thick.
- Serve immediately, garnished with shredded parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.Shredded parmesanFresh parsley
Notes
- I like to use spaghetti or linguine, but you can use any shape you have at home.
- Use smoked bacon for the most flavor. It doesn't need to be fancy bacon; you can use turkey bacon if you like.
- I use a brown onion, but you can also use a red, white, or yellow onion.
- The recipe calls for three cloves of garlic. But as I always say, we measure garlic with our hearts, so add more if you want.
- This balances the sour edge that you get from a lot of brands of canned tomatoes. Especially important because of the quick cook. I use white granulated sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Michelle says
I forgot to hit the stars...
Angela Pagliarello says
One of my favorite pastas this tomato pasta with bacon. Easy, quick to make and most of all super tasty!
Chichi says
This bacon tomato pasta hit all the right spots for my pasta loving family. We enjoyed every bit of it and we’ve added it to our mid week dinner rotation.
Puja says
I am always looking for quick and flavorful recipes for weeknight meals. This one is perfect!
Sherry says
Bacon always make a dish so much better! And it kicks your bacon tomato pasta dish up another level. Thank you for a great pasta recipe!!
Sue says
I had a box of linguine pasta just waiting for some new inspiration, and here is where I found it. This pasta is a winner, adding it to my my meal rotation!
Erica says
Bacon is such a natural addition to this dish! Such amazing flavor here, thank you.
Michelle says
Claire, my German Grandmother made a baked pasta dish that I've never been able to duplicate. I used your recipe, used thin spaghetti, broke it into 3 inch pieces (this was a baked casserole) and undercooked the pasta to allow for baking.
The result had the required crispy bits on the bottom and edges of her beautiful, old, white baking bowl. It is very, very close. I'll keep tweeking. Thank you...