Bacon and pasta are a fantastic combination, especially when coated in cream or tomato sauces. To cut through that creaminess add fresh vegetables such as spinach, peas, and squashes, that perfectly balance the salty . All these easy recipes are quick to cook and make fantastic dinner ideas perfect for a quick meal after work.
In the main for these dishes you want pasta tubes and spirals to maximise the sauce coating, although you can use ribbon pastas too. So for these recipes we recommend penne, fusilli and tagliatelle.
You should always reserve a little water from the pasta pan as this water is perfect for loosening tight or thick sauces.
The four types of bacon you can use for these recipes are, Streaky or back bacon, smoked or unsmoked. In the main we use smoky back bacon which adds extra flavour, but if you are not a fan of the smoky flavour then you can use unsmoked. Streaky bacon has more fat than back so if you are counting the calories stick to back bacon. The bacon fat is essential to give the sauces flavour so don't remove all the bacon grease from the pan when cooking
Carbonara is a traditional Italian dish made with bacon and probably the best known pasta recipe. Made with crispy squares of bacon or pancetta and mixed with either spaghetti or tagliatelle and then coated in a delicious egg, parmesan and cream sauce. Simple to cook and absolutely delicious, we serve our carbonara with crispy spinach balls for extra crunch and garlic bread to soak up any additional sauce.
Our recipe is made with tagliatelle, boil the pasta till al dente. Cook the chopped bacon into squares and fry till crisp, mix together the egg, cream and parmesan and season with salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked drain it and add it to the bacon, add the sauce and stir till the sauce thickens, season to taste and serve. Simple and delicious
Bacon, French cheese and pasta, make the ideal base for the perfect creamy pasta dish. The richness of the sauce and the crispy bacon combine beautifully, for us a shot of freshness is essential so add some peas ! Served with salad or with garlic bread. Make this recipe when you are looking to use up leftover cheese board items at Christmas
Cook the fusilli in boiling water, while it is cooking, fry the streaky bacon till crisp. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two Chop the cheese into chunks add to the pan with the cream and season Add the peas to the pasta cook for a minute or two, then drain, save a little of the water. Add the pasta and peas to the frying pan, season with salt and pepper. Stir, if the sauce is a little thick add a little pasta water to reduce the thickness
Tomato and bacon is another classic combo, add pasta and cheese and you have an amazing flavour explosion, whether its fresh tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or tinned tomatoes all make the perfect sauce, our favourite bacon and tomato pasta has a delicious tomato, camembert and emmental cheese sauce
This delicious and easy pasta is made with penne and squares of crispy bacon all served in a creamy tomato and camembert sauce. Cook the penne in boiling water, cook the bacon squares till crisp. Add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes cook for a minute or two. Add the tin of tomatoes and a little sugar to taste, cook till the sauce thickens. Chop the camembert and grate the emmenthal cheese add the double cream and mix the sauce. Drain your pasta reserving some of the water, Add the cooked penne to the frying pan with the basil. Stir the sauce, if the sauce is to thick add a little reserved pasta water to make a looser sauce, serve your pasta with garlic bread
This simple but delicious creamy bacon pasta recipe is the perfect quick cook dinner recipe. Ham and peas is an age old combination and perfectly compliments carbohydrates such as potatoes and pasta. This recipe is made with a traditional alfredo creamy sauce, of cream, butter, and parmesan. Simple yet so delicious.
To make this easy pasta dish, cook your pasta till it is al dente add the peas just before the penne is cooked and then drain them, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Add the smoked bacon to a frying pan and cook till crisp, when the bacon is cooked, add the crushed garlic to the pan and cook the garlic and bacon for no more than a minute. Add the chopped brie and cream, cook till the cheese melts, season with salt and pepper Place the pasta in the sauce and stir add more pasta water if the sauce is stiff. Then serve this simple recipe with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and served with garlic bread.
This is one of our favourite pasta dishes, creamy pasta sauces aren't the healthiest so if you're looking for a bacon pasta without some many calories, then try our butternut carbonara with a crème fraiche sauce. Crispy smoky bacon, roast peppers, roasted butternut squash and sliced olives coated in a parmesan, pine nut and sage crème fraiche sauce. Served with a sprinkle of parsley and served with crispy garlic bread.
Cook this delicious pasta by first roasting the butternut squash with the chilli flakes and garlic. Cook the tagliatelle till al dente. Heat the frying pan and add the bacon cook till golden brown then add the sliced red peppers cook for a minute or two then add the sliced olives and the roasted butternut. Add the pine nuts and cook for a minute or two, then add the crème fraiche and the parmesan, add the pasta and then serve with a sprinkle of parsley
Not exactly bacon but gammon makes a delicious addition to pasta, you can use freshly cooked gammon or use up leftover ham/gammon joints for this dish
This great recipe has chunks of crispy gammon, mixed with al dente penne, lightly fried leeks and spring onions. The past gammon and fresh vegetables are coated in a delicious cream sauce flavoured with thyme, garlic and grated parmesan cheese
This recipe is so easy, Cook pasta according to the instructions draining the pasta save about a cup of pasta water. Cut the gammon into chunks and cook till crisp set a side, cook the sliced leeks and spring onions then add the chopped garlic cook for a minute or two add the cream, cook till the sauce thickens then add the grated parmesan, season. Add the gammon and pasta stir and cook for a few minutes, add some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce gets to thick. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh time and some garlic bread
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