Our Parmesan Bacon Pasta is an easy 30-minute dinner made with only 5 delicious ingredients. Tender spaghetti is tossed with crispy bacon in a garlic parmesan sauce. It's a comforting dinner that's one of our favorite pasta meals.
It's a family-friendly recipe that can be enjoyed as a full dinner but you can also add any fresh, steamed or pan-fried vegetables to the pasta for extra crunch and nutrients. Steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus and salt and pepper roasted green beans are all great. Parmesan bacon pasta is delicious served with a side of crusty bread, like Italian bread, garlic bread or cheese bread.
Love easy pasta dinners too? Make sure to try our 20-minute fried spaghetti, creamy tortellini pasta and 1-pan chicken tortellini casserole.
Ingredients
This bacon pasta recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients.
- Spaghetti pasta: although you can use any shape pasta that you'd like
- Bacon
- Butter: or you can use ghee or olive oil for a healthier version
- Garlic: fresh garlic cloves give the best flavor
- Parmesan cheese: use freshly shredded cheese from a block for the best outcome
- Salt and black pepper: I always prefer freshly ground salt and pepper
Kristina's Tips
- Use any pasta: any shaped pasta works with this recipe, but I prefer using long pasta like fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti. Kids might also like wagon wheels, bow ties, and elbows!
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese: freshly grated parmesan will melt better than a bottle of grated parmesan cheese, so opt for it if you can.
- Add plenty of table salt to the boiling pasta water. This will give a lot of flavor to the sauce and spaghetti alike.
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti pasta according to package instructions. When done drain the pasta, reserving at least 3 cups of pasta water for use in the sauce.
- To a large pan add bacon strips and cook until crispy (about 6-8 minutes), flipping halfway through. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside.
- Leaving the leftover bacon bits in the bottom of the pan, drain about half of the bacon grease. Add a small amount of pasta water to the pan and deglaze, scrape off any bits that are stuck to the bottom.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, add the minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour 2 cups of pasta water into the pan and stir. Slowly add the grated parmesan cheese, about ½ cup at a time. Whisk constantly as the cheese is added and until it completely melts into the liquid.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and parmesan butter sauce to a serving dish. Break the cooked bacon into small pieces and toss with the spaghetti and sauce. If the pasta seems too dry, add more pasta water. Serve topped with fresh herbs if desired, such as basil, parsley or oregano.
How To Store
Bacon pasta keeps in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Variations
What Can I Add To Bacon Pasta?
Crunchy vegetables make a great addition this garlic bacon pasta, such as roasted broccoli and asparagus. Peas, carrots and tomatoes work too. You can make this more of a spaghetti carbonara by adding lots of black pepper and a bit of scrambled eggs.
Can I Make The Sauce Creamy?
This recipe is delicious with a sauce that's on the creamier side too. To make a creamy sauce, replace one cup of the pasta water with heavy cream or milk. You can follow the method I use to make this 10-minute creamy white pasta sauce.
Recipe
Parmesan Bacon Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti
- 10 slices bacon
- ½ cup butter
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti pasta according to package instructions. When done drain the pasta, reserving at least 3 cups of pasta water for use in the sauce.
- To a large pan add bacon strips and cook until crispy (about 6-8 minutes), flipping halfway through. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside.
- Leaving the leftover bacon bits in the bottom of the pan, drain about half of the bacon grease. Add a small amount of pasta water to the pan and deglaze, scrape off any bits that are stuck to the bottom.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, add the minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour 2 cups of pasta water into the pan and stir. Slowly add the grated parmesan cheese, about ½ cup at a time. Whisk constantly as the cheese is added and until it completely melts into the liquid.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and parmesan butter sauce to a serving dish. Break the cooked bacon into small pieces and toss with the spaghetti and sauce. If the pasta seems too dry, add more pasta water.
Notes
Nutrition
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