Go Back
Creamy Tomato bacon pasta on a pottery plate
Print

Easy Creamy Tomato & Bacon Pasta

Crispy bacon, tomatoes, garlic, cream, and Pecorino Romano make the perfect weekend pasta dinner.
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Equipment

  • One large pot for boiling the noodles
  • One large deep saute pan for the sauce and mixing in the noodles

Ingredients

For the noodles

  • 1 pound fettuccine, spaghetti, or penne pasta
  • water for boiling pasta

For the sauce

  • 8 oz bacon
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika or red pepper flakes
  • 14.5-15 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/3 cup Plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 handful Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana shredded
  • 1-2 tbsp Reserved pasta water
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh basil leaves optional

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions (or al dente). Reserve 1-2 tbsp of pasta water.
    Drain and set aside.
  • Cook bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until crispy. Set aside and reserve two tablespoons of fat from the pan.
  • Over medium heat add olive oil, reserved bacon fat, the chopped garlic, and smoked paprika or red pepper flakes to the pan that you cooked the bacon in and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Immediately add diced tomatoes to the pan to keep garlic from burning and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the tomatoes have thickened. Season with a touch of salt and pepper.
  • Once the tomato sauce has slightly thickened add the heavy cream and stir. Lower the heat to low and stir in the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water.
    Stir until it all comes together and thickens slightly, and season with salt and pepper again (if needed). Add a few fresh basil leaves and stir (optional).
  • Shave some of the fresh Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana on top and toss in chopped bacon.
  • Serve immediately and top with more cheese, bacon and black pepper.

Video

Notes

  • If you don't have red pepper flakes or smoked paprika you can omit them from the recipe.  The smoked paprika adds a smoky flavor or the red pepper flakes will add very subtle heat.
  • If you like more heat or spice you can add more of either of these to taste.
  • If you don't want to use the bacon fat, you can drain it from the pan and use olive oil instead.
  • If you want an even creamier sauce you can a bit more heavy cream.