Creamy Bacon Pasta
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This yummy creamy bacon pasta is decadent, protein-rich, and has a good amount of veggies, too! It also features a hint of heat from chilli flakes and a tangy taste from the lemon. Serve it with garlic bread and a side salad for a well-rounded meal.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Creamy bacon pasta doesn’t need to be an intimidating recipe! This decadent dish only takes about 30 minutes to whip up and requires a few kitchen tools. It’s one of my favourite bacon pasta recipes to make when I’m craving a dish that feels rich but isn’t too heavy.
Even the kids will love this bacon pasta recipe (they won’t even taste the courgette and broccoli in the dish). Since this dish has veggies, it also has additional nutrients you won’t typically find in a creamy pasta recipe. If you don’t enjoy courgette and broccoli, you can easily swap it for veg you prefer, such as peas and carrot bits.
Use leftover spaghetti or pasta noodles to create recipes like Pesto Pasta Salad, Gigi Hadid Pasta and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
Bacon
You can use any crispy bacon on hand for this creamy bacon pasta dish. For a more authentic Italian flavour, use pancetta. To make the dish healthier, consider using turkey bacon instead.
Courgettes
Courgettes add nutrients to this dish and give it a summery flavour. You can use other veggies like aubergine or other types of squash if you do not enjoy the flavour of courgettes.
Crème Fraiche
I prefer low-fat crème fraiche to help keep the calories down in this recipe without sacrificing flavour or a rich, creamy sauce texture. However, you can also make this pasta bacon dish with heavy cream, full-fat crème fraiche, Greek yoghurt, and cream cheese. Note: These swaps will change the nutrition of this bacon pasta recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Turn this creamy bacon pasta into a vegan recipe using a dairy-free crème fraiche alternative (I like the Silk brand or Elmlea for dairy-free heavy whipping cream). Then, use a meat-free alternative to the bacon for a vegetarian/vegan-approved dish. You can also leave the bacon out if you don’t have any similar veggie protein on hand.
Make this into one of your favourite gluten-free bacon pasta dishes by swapping the spaghetti with any gluten-free cooked pasta. Lentil pasta is a great alternative, as it also helps boost the protein content of the dish.
How to make creamy bacon pasta
- Start by slicing the courgettes into thinly sliced round (Image 1).
- Then add the bacon to a non-stick frying pan over a low/medium heat with half of the oil. Gently fry to allow the bacon fat to render out of the bacon (Image 2).
3. After the bacon has been frying for around 10 minutes, or until crispy, set aside (Image 3).
4. Add the remaining oil along with the courgettes. Season generously with salt and pepper (Image 4).
5. Stir the courgettes occasionally, leaving to fry for around 8 minutes (Image 5).
6. Meanwhile, add your spaghetti to salted boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus two minutes. Steam your broccoli over the pasta water (Image 6).
7. Meanwhile, add your spaghetti to salted boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus two minutes (Image 7).
8. Steam your broccoli over the pasta water (Image 8).
9. Add the creme fraiche, lemon zest, garlic granules, bacon and dried basil into the pan with the courgettes (Image 9).
10. When your pasta timer goes off, add undercooked pasta. Loosen with a generous few ladles of pasta water. Add half of the steamed broccoli and continue to loosen with pasta water and cook over a low heat for 1 minute. Serve immediately with a crack of black pepper and an extra side of broccoli. Dig in and enjoy! (Image 10).
For more recipe inspiration try these tasty dishes ; Marry Me Chicken Recipe, Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce and Nando’s Fino Pitta
Tips for the best result
Use your favourite bacon. Any bacon will work for this recipe, though choices with more fat will produce a more decadent dish. Alternatively, consider using pancetta (Italian bacon) for a more complex flavour. It has a different seasoning than typical bacon and goes well with recipes like this creamy bacon pasta.
Keep some pasta cooking water to the side. Pasta water is the key to this creamy pasta bacon dish. It helps hold the creamy bacon sauce together and thickens the creamy sauce. Grab a mug full (or measuring cup full) of pasta water before draining the noodles.
Use less pasta for a saucier recipe. If you’re someone who enjoys recipes that are extra saucy, you can use slightly fewer noodles in this dish. Note: This recipe’s serving sizes will decrease if you use less pasta.
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Make this yummy pasta recipe even more flavourful by adding a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Any variety will work, though freshly grated is best.
If you use fewer noodles from the carton (like tip number three suggests), you can use the remaining pasta to create recipes like Caramelized Shallot Pasta (Budget Alison Roman Shallot Pasta), Spaghetti al Limone and Creamy Gochujang Pasta.
FAQS
The calories per serving of creamy bacon pasta vary quite a bit, depending on which recipe you select. Some creamy bacon pasta recipes have about 600 – 700 calories per serving, while others are around 500 calories. You can always use a lower-fat crème fraiche to help cut calories or include turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
Expect a creamy bacon pasta recipe to stay good in the fridge for up to three days. When reheating recipes with bacon and pasta, put the serving in a pan and reheat in the microwave fir a couple of minutes until heated throughout. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water since the pasta will dry out in the fridge over time.
Yes, you can use milk as a substitute for cream or crème fraiche for a creamy bacon pasta sauce. However, you’ll notice a much thinner sauce unless you add a cornstarch or flour slurry.
Treat yourself to a yummy dessert after enjoying a serving of bacon pasta by making one of the following recipes: Steamed Lemon Cake, Chocolate Swirl Custard Toast, or Chocolate Tiffin.
Explore More Recipes
If you tried this Creamy Bacon Pasta recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Creamy Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g bacon, sliced into rough chunks (£2.25)
- 2 large courgettes, thinly sliced into rounds (£0.95)
- 500 g spaghetti (£0.28)
- 1 head of broccoli (£0.69)
- 300 ml low-fat creme fraiche (£1.05)
- Zest of half a lemon (£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Optional chilli flakes
Method
- Start by adding the bacon to a non-stick frying pan over a low/medium heat with half of the oil. Gently fry to allow the bacon fat to render out of the bacon.
- After the bacon has been frying for around 10 minutes, or until crispy, set aside.
- Add the remaining oil along with the courgettes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, leaving to fry for around 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add your spaghetti to salted boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus two minutes. Steam your broccoli over the pasta water.
- When your pasta timer goes off, add the creme fraiche, lemon zest, garlic granules, bacon and dried basil into the pan with the courgettes, along with the undercooked pasta. Loosen with a generous few ladles of pasta water.
- Add half of the steamed broccoli and continue to loosen with pasta water and cook over a low heat for 1 minute.
- Serve immediately with a crack of black pepper and an extra side of broccoli. Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
- Opt for your preferred type of bacon; fattier choices yield a richer outcome. Alternatively, explore pancetta for a more intricate taste profile.
- Reserve pasta cooking water to bind the creamy bacon sauce and enhance its thickness. Save a cupful before draining the pasta.
- For a creamier result, decrease the pasta quantity slightly. Be aware that reducing pasta will lead to smaller serving sizes.
- Elevate the dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, enhancing its flavour. While any variety works, freshly grated parmesan is recommended if you have the budget.
Nutrition
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