Bacon Pasta
This Creamy Bacon Pasta recipe has an indulgent tomato cream sauce with garlic, Parmesan cheese, simple seasonings, and crispy bacon! Your family will love this restaurant-quality dinner with a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Be sure to try my Bacon Ranch Chicken recipe next!
Bacon Pasta
I can’t wait for you to smell this creamy bacon sauce. It’s got the perfect balance of garlic, Parmesan, fresh tomatoes, cream, seasonings, and of course… bacon.
You can use any kind of pasta with this recipe. I love using bowtie pasta (farfalle), medium shells, regular or thin spaghetti, and even penne.
Let’s get to it! Here’s what you need to know:
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook the bacon over low and slow heat until crispy. Remove and reserve 1 TBS drippings.
Add minced garlic and add splashes of chicken broth to the pan. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan while the garlic cooks for 1-2 minutes.
Once the bottom and sides of the pan are clean, add remaining chicken broth, cream, tomato paste, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
Add cherry tomatoes and stir in room temperature cream cheese. Let it bubble gently, partially covered, while you boil the pasta. Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in Parmesan cheese.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. The sauce will thicken upon standing and the pasta will continue to absorb it. Garnish with crumbled bacon and fresh parsley.
Pro Tips
- Any kind of pasta can be used in this recipe. My favorites include bowtie (farfalle), medium shells, and thin or regular spaghetti.
- Diced/drained tomatoes can be used instead of cherry tomatoes. I like the flavor and texture from the softened cherry tomatoes but a firmer and more uniform texture from diced tomatoes may be preferred.
- The cream cheese must be at room temperature in order to melt well into the sauce.
- Be sure to grate Parmesan cheese from a block instead of using packaged grated cheese as it will melt much smoother and creamier.
- If you substitute half and half instead of heavy cream, heat it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds before adding it into the sauce to ensure that it doesn’t curdle.
- You can’t taste the mustard powder, it enhances the other flavors in the recipe.
- If you love extra saucy pasta, use slightly less than 1/2 lb.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
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- Stainless Steel Skillet– This is the one I used for this recipe.
- Kitchen Tongs– Easiest way to handle and flip the bacon.
- Silicone Spatula
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
Seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne, optional
Pasta
- 5 slices bacon
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 pinch Red pepper Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 8 oz spaghetti
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon slowly over low heat until crispy on each side. Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Remove any black flecks from pan, but leave the brown remnants on the bottom as this will add great flavor to the sauce.
- Add reserved bacon drippings to the pan along with the garlic over medium heat.
- Add a splash of chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan. Continue to add small splashes of broth while the garlic cooks for 1-2 minutes.
- Once the bottom and sides of the pan are clean, you’ll be left with a brown liquid full of flavor. Add any remaining chicken broth along with the tomato paste, seasonings, and heavy cream. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and room temperature cream cheese. Stir to combine the cream cheese into the sauce. Cover partially and let it bubble slightly while you begin boiling salted pasta water. The tomatoes will eventually split.
- Taste the sauce and season with a pinch of salt if desired.
- Cook pasta 1 minute less than instructed on package. Once the pasta is nearly finished, reduce heat on the sauce to low. Gradually sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If the base is too hot when you do this, the dairy will separate and you’ll have a grainy consistency so be sure to let the heat reduce to low.
- Use kitchen tongs to add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine until desired sauce/pasta ratio is obtained. Allow it to cook for 1 minute more to allow the sauce to thicken further and for the pasta to absorb it.
- The sauce will continue to thicken further upon standing. Garnish with chopped bacon and fresh parsley and serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Notes
- Any kind of pasta can be used in this recipe. My favorites include bowtie (farfalle), medium shells, and thin or regular spaghetti.
- If you love extra saucy pasta, use slightly less than 1/2 lb.
- Diced/drained tomatoes can be used instead of cherry tomatoes. I like the flavor and texture from the softened cherry tomatoes but a firmer and more uniform texture from diced tomatoes may be preferred.
- The cream cheese must be at room temperature in order to melt well into the sauce.
- Be sure to grate Parmesan cheese from a block instead of using packaged grated cheese as it will melt much smoother and creamier.
- If you substitute half and half instead of heavy cream, heat it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds before adding it into the sauce to ensure that it doesn’t curdle.
- The mustard powder may seem strange, but it enhances the other flavors in the recipe.
This dish was SO delicious. I just added a bit of sundried tomato paste I got from Aldi but followed the rest of the recipe to a T. My whole family loved it and the 5 year old got seconds. Will definitely be printing it to make again and again.
I’m soo happy that it was a hit Sara!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it so much!!
I too heard of your recipe through Becki at Acre Homestead! The recipe sounded so yummy I made it tonight to feed my gang. I followed your recipe but added some sun-dried tomatoes as I didn’t quite have enough of the cherry tomatoes after I doubled the recipe. I also served it with homemade gnocchi as I had mashed potatoes to use up. Look forward to also using pasta next time!
This recipe was enjoyed by absolutely everyone…even the picky eaters…lol!
Some even said it was like having a restaurant quality dinner.
Thank you for sharing your recipe…it’s a keeper!
I’m so happy even the picky eaters enjoyed it Adelle! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💗
Becky at Homeacre Homestead did a video that had this as her first recipe. I was in town, so was able to get the high maintenance ingredients (I am 45 minutes from the nearest grocery store)like Heavy Cream and the Grape tomatoes. I did modify mine a little bit. I dont have any chicken stock on hand because I just dont have the room, so I end up having to make do with bouillon a lot of times. I have on hand for a lot of recipes that are tomato based the Knorr Tomato Bouillon, so I used that instead of the chicken broth. I made the whole pack of bacon, oopsie! So, I had a lot for the recipe… I ended up using 3 tbsp of tomato paste as well and 3 cups of the tomato bouillon. I also sauteed a medium to large onion in the bacon drippings to give it the extra flavour that I was missing from the better stock. I also goofed and added the heavy cream last. I tempered it because I was really worried that it would curdle. I think even though I goofed on a lot of the recipe. I was trying to remember the recipe via the video while I was cooking. It turned out absolutely fabulous! Today was Stranger Things Sunday where we try out strange things to us, and lol, would catch up on the show 😛
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe, and letting Becky do a video on it. Without that video I would never have found your recipe, your website and a new meal to add to our monthly rotation!
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
I’m so happy that you were inspired to make it and that you enjoyed it in spite of a few hiccups!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
This has become our favorite pasta dish. It is absolutely delicious! A simple recipe that is fairly quick to make (added bonus) 🙂
I’m so happy it’s become a favorite Adrienne! We love it over here too. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review💗
Phenomenal.. second time I made it I added some mushrooms and spinach.. making it a 3rd time today and a friend suggested adding some mozzerella balls as a garnish
I’m so happy that you loved it Kristine!! Mozzarella balls sound delicious!
I just made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that Barb!! Thank you!
Delicious i made it already a view times thank you for the recipe
Greetings from Holland xx isabella
I’m so happy that you love the recipe Isabella! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂
Family of seven and our absolute favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing this mouth watering and hit every spot dish! It is a must make
It’s my pleasure Kelley, I’m so happy your family of 7 enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
I made this with yellow cherry tomatoes (less acid) and it came out amazing!!! I used DeCecco bucatini. Perfection in a
Nice work using yellow cherry tomatoes Susan, that’s so cool! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review🩷
Going to make this tonight! Does it make a difference if you use light cream like half & half?
That’ll be fine Susan! I hope you love it!