Creamy Bacon Pasta

This Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe is indulgent, scrumptious, and easy to make!

Some days dinner just has to be a big bowl of creamy pasta with bacon. Quick to cook and comforting to eat. With its deliciously rich and creamy sauce, this creamy bacon pasta is a must on days like that. 

Made with easy-to-find ingredients and on the table in under 20 minutes, this creamy pasta with bacon is an easy family meal. Serve it with a side salad if you want to feel virtuous or some garlic bread if you really want to indulge!

Creamy Pasta with Bacon

Doesn't that heading just bring you joy and fill you with the idea of a bowl of comfort!

Creamy pasta is the ultimate hug in a bowl, and then when you add the smoky salt hit of crispy bacon, well, it is hard to beat! 

This is an indulgent dish with cheese, heavy cream, and bacon. But it is so good! Silky pasta in a delicious bacony creamy sauce. And kids love it! Which is always a winner on a busy weeknight.

You can adapt it and add in some veg; I find most of my kids will eat veg when they are covered in a creamy bacon sauce!

Adding vegetables to creamy pasta

The creamy sauce is easy to add to; some of our favorites include:

• Peas
• Sweet corn
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Asparagus

Except for the spinach, they can all be cooked with the bacon and then added to the cream sauce. The spinach can just be added to the hot pasta at the end, and it will wilt almost instantly in the heat.

Which bacon to use for Creamy Pasta with Bacon

Unlike my garlic bacon pasta recipe (which is a fan favorite!!!), you don't need bacon with a lot of fat. So you can use the trimmed bacon eyes or even turkey bacon for this recipe. 

I would suggest going for something smoked as that adds lots of flavor, but other than that, use your favorite bacon.

Recipe Tips

What to serve with creamy bacon pasta

Sides: I suggest a side salad and some good bread for nearly every pasta recipe on my site. They just work so well with pasta! But any green vegetable would make a delicious side dish. Try garlic green beans, roasted broccoli, or sauteed kale.

Wine: For white wine lovers, a crisp Pinot Grigio or Soave is perfect for cutting the sauce's richness. If you like a smoother, richer wine, try a Gavi di Gavi; it will still balance the creamy pasta sauce but isn't as crispy as the other two.
For those who love red wine, try Gamay, Montepulciano, or Pinot Noir; they can all cut through the richness of the cream sauce without overpowering the bacon flavors. 

Enjoy x

For more creamy pasta recipes why not try:

If you make this Creamy Pasta with Bacon, don't forget to come back and comment. You can also tag me on social media.

Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.

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5 from 6 votes

Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe

This Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe is indulgent, scrumptious, and easy to make! Some days dinner just has to be a big bowl of creamy pasta. Quick to cook and comforting to eat. With its deliciously rich and creamy sauce, this creamy bacon pasta is a must on days like that. Make with easy-to-find ingredients and on the table in under 20 minutes. Serve it with a side salad if you want to feel virtuous or some garlic bread if you really want to indulge!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Calories: 798kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 12 oz dried pasta - see note 1
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 10 strips bacon, chopped - see note 2
• 1 small onion, finely chopped - see note 3
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups heavy cream - see note 4
• 1½ cups pasta cooking water
• 1 cup grated parmesan - see note 5
• salt and pepper

To serve

• fresh parsley - optional

Instructions

Cook the Pasta

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.

  1 tablespoon salt
  12oz/360g dried pasta
  
  
• Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 2 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water, and then drain the pasta.

While the Pasta is Cooking

• Add the olive oil to a frying pan, then cook the bacon over medium-high for 4-5 minutes until crispy.

  1 tablespoon olive oil
  10 strips chopped bacon
  
  
• Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil and bacon grease behind.
• Reduce the heat under the pan and add the garlic and onion. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes until the onion is soft. (add extra olive oil if your bacon was very lean)

  1 chopped onion
  2 minced garlic cloves
  
  
• Add the cream, and 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the grated parmesan and stir.

  1½ cups heavy cream
  1½ cups pasta cooking water
  
  
• Add the cooked pasta and toss it gently into the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the pasta is cooked to your liking. If the sauce gets too thick, add more pasta cooking water.
• Stir through the crispy bacon - season the pasta to taste.

  salt and pepper, to taste
  
  
• Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

  fresh parsley (optional)
  
  

Notes

1. You can use any pasta shape you like for this recipe, I like spaghetti, but any long noodle will work.
2. Pick your favorite bacon or substitute ham if you have leftover ham. You can use turkey bacon also.
3. Use any onion you have to hand; brown, white, or yellow onions will work, or use a shallot or small leak.
4. Heavy cream or thickened cream is what you need for the recipe; half and half or single cream just doesn't thicken.
5. Freshly grated parmesan is best; it melts into the sauce more evenly. However, if you use store-bought grated parmesan, you will only need ½ cup as it is more compact.

Nutrition

Calories: 798kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1549IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 2mg

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