Oh, bacon pasta—how you’ve stolen my heart! Picture this:
creamy, dreamy sauce clinging to every strand of pasta, the smoky aroma of bacon curling through the air—it’s like a warm hug on a plate. I remember the first time I made this dish, it was a weeknight, and I was exhausted, but the ease and comfort it brought were unmatched.
It’s like wrapping yourself in a blanket of flavor.
Steps
- In a large saucepan or pot, cook the bacon until it becomes crispy. Remove it from the pan and let it drain on paper towels, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
- Add garlic to the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds. Pour in the uncooked pasta, cream, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper, stirring to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and cook for around 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the noodles remain submerged in the liquid.
- Add broccoli to the pot and cook for another 5-7 minutes until it becomes tender. Allow the sauce to continue cooking until it thickens slightly.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and the cooked bacon pieces. Serve the pasta immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan if desired.
Ingredients
- Bacon, cooked until crispy (quantity not specified)
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat (reserved from cooking the bacon)
- Garlic, sautéed for about 30 seconds (amount not specified)
- Uncooked pasta (type and quantity not specified)
- Cream (quantity not specified)
- Chicken broth (quantity not specified)
- Salt (amount not specified)
- Pepper (optional, amount not specified)
- Crushed red pepper (quantity not specified)
- Broccoli, cooked until soft (quantity not specified)
- Parmesan cheese, stirred in and additional for serving (quantity not specified)
FAQ
- Can I substitute the type of pasta in this recipe?
- Absolutely. Feel free to use any small-shaped pasta like penne or farfalle as alternatives in this dish.
- Is it possible to include chicken in this pasta recipe?
- Yes, you can incorporate rotisserie chicken or cook some cubed chicken after preparing the bacon for added protein.
- How can I make this recipe a bit lighter?
- The dish is already relatively light since part of the cream is replaced with chicken broth. However, you can make it even lighter by using half and half instead of cream.
- What is the key to maintaining crispy bacon in this pasta dish?
- The trick is to cook the bacon separately until crispy, drain it, and then prepare the rest of the dish in the same pan, which helps retain the bacon’s crispness without it becoming soggy.
Tips
- To retain the crispy texture of the bacon, cook it separately until crispy, then remove and drain it on paper towels before using the same pan for the rest of the dish.
- For a lighter version of this pasta, consider substituting half and half for the cream, as the recipe already incorporates chicken broth to reduce the richness.
- Feel free to customize this dish with different types of small pasta, such as penne or farfalle, to suit your preference or availability.
- Enhance the meal by adding protein like rotisserie chicken or freshly cooked cubed chicken after cooking the bacon, providing an additional layer of flavor and substance.
Equipment
- Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta, the main equipment that someone might not typically have at home and may need to purchase from Amazon includes:
- Dutch oven or large saucepan/pot – If someone doesn’t have a large enough pot or prefers a specific type like a Dutch oven for even cooking.
- Garlic press – If they want to easily crush or mince garlic.
- High-quality tongs – For handling bacon and stirring ingredients, especially if they lack a good set for use in cooking.
