Creamy Garlic Bacon Pasta (Printable Version)

A comforting dish with crispy bacon, fragrant garlic, and creamy sauce hugging tender pasta.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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
05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat.
03 - Melt butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in grated Parmesan, cooked bacon, and black pepper. Allow sauce to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is overly thick, incorporate reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and extra pepper if needed. Remove from heat. Plate the pasta, then garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in thirty minutes but tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The bacon fat does all the flavor work, so you're really just assembling magic.
  • Creamy and indulgent without ever feeling heavy or pretentious.
02 -
  • Don't brown the garlic—it turns acrid and bitter, and no amount of cream can rescue it.
  • Save that pasta water before draining; it's starchy gold that helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom.
  • Cook the pasta to al dente, not soft—it keeps cooking slightly when it hits the warm sauce.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh and fine—the difference between pre-grated and freshly grated is the difference between a decent sauce and an exceptional one.
  • Let the cream simmer gently, never boil hard; aggressive heat can cause it to break or separate.
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