Creamy Bacon Pasta makes the most out of the simplest possible ingredients. Toss crispy bacon, linguine pasta and chicken broth together with fresh vegetables and plenty of cheese, and you have a delicious home-cooked meal ready in just 30 minutes. Better yet, this BLT pasta can be made in just one pot, making cleanup super easy.
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Why this Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe is a Keeper
If you love pasta, and you love bacon, you’ll definitely want to try this recipe. It’s got lots of flavor and is made with ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen. Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to make this tonight:
- 30 Minute Meal: Make this creamy pasta with bacon in just 30 minutes.
- Great for Beginner Cooks: Anyone can make this easy recipe for tomato and bacon pasta. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or are just starting out, you’ll have the perfect dinner in no time at all.
- Light on Cleanup: Because this creamy tomato and bacon pasta only uses one pot, you don’t have to worry about cleaning your entire kitchen after you make it.
How Do I Prevent the Creamy Pasta Sauce from Separating?
Pasta sauce is an emulsification, meaning it’s a combination of ingredients that would otherwise separate. In order to make a great sauce, you’ll need to do a little cooking magic. To keep it from separating, add an emulsifier like grated cheese, and keep it at a gentle simmer to prevent it from getting too hot and breaking down. Also, make sure to stir occasionally, as stirring too much will break down the emulsion.
Tomato and Bacon Pasta Ingredient Notes
- Bacon: Toss pork or turkey bacon into your pasta for a crispy texture.
- Cubed Cream Cheese: This is what makes this recipe deliciously creamy.
- Pasta: Use any long pasta you want. Linguine is recommended, but you can also use fettucine or spaghetti.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Indulgent Tomato Bacon Pasta
- Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Then, add the pasta to the pot of salted water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, then save the cooked pasta for when you’re ready to cook.
- Bacon: You can cook the bacon in advance as well.
Pasta Water Pro Tip
This might seem obvious, but many people underestimate the importance of salting pasta cooking water. A generous amount of salt enhances the flavor of the pasta itself and helps the sauce cling better once you drain your pasta. Aim for water that tastes like the sea.
How to Make this Creamy Pasta Recipe with Bacon
This easy pasta dish combines pasta, crumbled bacon, and vegetables in a rich creamy sauce. The bacon, tomatoes, and onions are cooked to perfection, resulting in a delicious recipe that’s full of flavor. Follow the steps below to learn how to make this delicious creamy bacon spaghetti dish.
These are the basic steps for making this pasta with bacon recipe. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. If you love this recipe, reader interactions really help us out, so make sure to leave a review! 🙂
1. Cook the Bacon
Slice the bacon into strips and fry in a skillet on medium heat, reserving some of the bacon fat in the frying pan.
2. Sautee Vegetables and Reduce the Heat
Sautee onions and red pepper flakes in the skillet with the bacon grease, then add garlic, chicken broth, and tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. Finally, add the pasta, salt, and half of the bacon and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Top the Pasta and Add in the Parmesan
Remove skillet from heat and add the cream cheese, tomatoes, and parsley to the pasta and toss. Let stand; the sauce will thicken. Serve with remaining bacon and freshly grated parmesan cheese, and garnish with parsley or top with salt and black pepper if desired.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Pasta with Bacon in a Creamy Sauce
- Storing: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Using Leftovers: Leftover pasta is great for an easy lunch or dinner.
- Cream of Bacon: For even more bacon flavor, stir in some cream of bacon soup.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
- Noodles: Use your favorite noodles to make this pasta recipe. Long noodles work best, but you can try other shapes, like penne or rigatoni.
- Ham: Use diced ham instead of bacon.
- Cream Cheese: Use a low fat cream cheese for a healthier option to make the cream sauce. If you don’t like cream cheese, you can also stir in some whipping cream or half and half.
Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe FAQs and Reader Interactions
If you’re looking for sides to go with this recipe, try these maple Brussels sprouts, honey garlic baby carrots, or roasted spicy sweet potatoes. You can also serve this simple creamy pasta with a side salad or garlic bread.
Place the bacon in a pan big enough for it to lie flat and cook on medium high heat. When it starts to curl up, turn it over, and continue cooking on both sides until it reaches your preferred level of doneness.
For an extra creamy pasta, add more cream cheese or a splash of heavy cream. If the sauce gets too thick, mix in some reserved pasta water or use less cheese.
Expert Tips for Making Pasta and Creamy Bacon Sauce
- Vegetables: Add vegetables, like peas, broccoli, asparagus, or mushrooms.
- Creamy Chicken Pasta: Add in a different protein, such as chicken. This also makes a great pork alternative.
- Vegan: If you want to make this recipe vegan, use a plant-based bacon and cream cheese substitute to make the sauce without dairy products.
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Creamy Bacon Pasta
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Ingredients
- 12 slices Bacon, divided
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- 29 ounces Diced tomatoes, 2, 14.5 ounce cans
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces Linguine pasta, uncooked
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 ounces Cream cheese
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 Cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Slice the bacon cross wise into strips. Cook in a large skillet with high sides for 8-9 minutes, or until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain skillet, leaving 1 Tablespoon of bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Add onion and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for 10-20 seconds more. Add broth and tomatoes to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta, salt and half of the cooked bacon. Simmer, covered for 9-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked by still firm. Stir occasionally.
- Remove skillet from heat and add cubed cream cheese, tomatoes and parsley, reserving 1 tbsp of parsley for garnish. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining bacon, grated Parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.
Christina’s Notes
- Reserve Pasta Water: Its natural starch helps the sauce cling beautifully to the noodles.
- Don’t Overcook the Bacon: Cook it crisp, not burnt, so it stays flavorful and adds texture.
- Finish Over Low Heat: Creamy sauces stay smooth and silky when gently heated at the end.
- Salt with Care: Bacon and Parmesan bring plenty of salt on their own.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
I love this recipe. It can be varied in so many ways with the addition of the protein of your choice. On a scale of 1-10 I give it a resounding10!!
DQ
I’ve found another recipe here on your blog that I must try!
This looks like it may become one of my new favorites…pasta, bacon, tomatoes, and cream cheese…YUM!
Thank you
Amber
http://auntpegsrecipebox.blogspot.com
Commented above, but wanted to say thanks for linking up at Tip Day Thursday. Link up anytime.
Wendy
Around My Family Table
Sounds yummy! And I love your blog hop list – I will have to check out some of those sites!
Thanks for linking up with Frugal Food Thursday at <a href="http://www.frugalfollies.com/"Frugal Follies!
Everything’s better with bacon. Looks like great comfort food.
This sounds so yummy! My hubby and I are having a Dinner Date at home tomorrow night and this would be perfect. Good timing! 🙂 Thanks so much for linking it up to Inspiration Friday this week and have a very Merry Christmas!
Vanessa
Vanessa, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Have a great date! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!
YUM!!!! I love Pampered Chef recipes – I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one which I didn’t like, but THIS looks like something in another world entirely. I neeeeed to make this, my husband would flip for it! (me too!)
Thanks so much for sharing @ Foodie Friday!
looks delish i am going to have to try this!
WOW. Looks UH.MAZE.ING. I just stumbled this recipe so I can come back to it when I have some bacon!
This looks delicious…….a keeper for me. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I’m definitely adding this to my “To Try” recipe ideas. It sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
CAS
i love pasta, any pasta it’s my favorite, perfect
Noobfoodie
That sounds crazy good! That would be a nice quick mid-holiday madness meal. Thanks for sharing!
A friday’s favorite for sure!
I am a fan of whole wheat pasta too… this looks like the perfect go to dinner!