Creamy Garlic Bacon Pasta (Printable)

Comforting pasta featuring crispy bacon, garlic, and a silky cream sauce for a rich dinner.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine

→ Bacon & Aromatics

02 - 7 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced
03 - 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

→ Sauce

04 - 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (50 g)
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

09 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente following package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until golden and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Retain only 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
03 - Melt butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute until fragrant, avoiding browning.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in Parmesan cheese, cooked bacon, and black pepper. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, gradually stir in reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and additional black pepper if needed. Remove from heat. Plate pasta and garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes with ingredients that feel like comfort wrapped around each bite.
  • The cream sauce clings to every strand, turning a weeknight into something that tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • Bacon's crispy edges against silky pasta create a texture contrast that somehow never gets old.
02 -
  • Don't throw away the pasta water—that starch is what helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of sliding off into puddles.
  • Garlic on high heat becomes bitter almost instantly, and there's no coming back from that, so medium-low is your friend here.
  • The sauce will tighten as it cools, so it should look a touch looser than you'd serve it; the pasta water fixes this in a heartbeat.
03 -
  • Taste as you go, especially with salt and pepper—what tastes flat in the pan comes alive on the tongue once it's cooled slightly.
  • Serve on warm plates so the pasta doesn't cool down too quickly and firm up before it reaches the table.
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