This Easy Bacon Pasta is the perfect weeknight meal that is on the table in under 15 minutes. Comforting, easy to adapt, and packed with vegetables - the perfect combination for a pasta dish. Crispy bacon stirred through spaghetti with peas and spinach. This pasta with bacon is easy to adapt and total comfort food. Definitely one for bacon lovers!
Not only is this recipe for bacon pasta a great way to use up a couple of rashers of bacon, but it's a quick and easy comforting meal that is easy to pack with vegetables. Just a few ingredients, which you can switch out for whatever you have on hand, and you can have delicious comfort food in under 15 minutes.
If you are looking for more bacon recipes, why not try our easy Oven Cooked Bacon, quick Air Fryer Bacon or convenient Microwave Bacon.
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Why You Will Love It
- Easy comfort food - This bacon pasta is total comfort food, but that doesn't have to mean complicated. It's really simple to make.
- Ready in 15 minutes - Homemade food can be fast too and this bacon pasta recipe is on the table in just 15 minutes.
- Easy to adapt - Feel free to adapt by adding in your favourite vegetables or whatever you have that needs using up.
- A good way to use up leftover bacon - This is a great leftover bacon recipe, so you if you have any left from breakfast, make this bacon pasta recipe with it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Spaghetti - Any pasta will work in this recipe for bacon pasta, but we love spaghetti. To make this recipe even quicker, use fresh tagliatelle.
- Bacon - The star of the dish, so you want to use the best quality that you can. We used bacon medallions to keep it leaner, but you could use streaky bacon, which would have more flavour. You could swap this for chorizo or pancetta if you prefer.
- Shallots - These are the base of the recipe and add a nice sweetness. You could use a small brown or brown onion if you prefer.
- Peas - An easy way to add some greens to a pasta dish, as they can be cooked in with the spaghetti. You could add some frozen sweetcorn too.
- Spinach - Another easy way to add a green vegetable boost. You could use kale too.
- Garlic - The more the better we say. Freshly crushed is always best.
- Cheese - We used a little parmesan, but you could use a mature cheddar instead if you prefer.
- Basil - The best herb to go in a pasta dish.
- Pasta water - Adding starchy pasta water (just 100ml is enough) to a fat like olive oil will create an emulsion and this gives a really silky smooth sauce and helps it cling to the pasta. Make sure you scoop out the water just before draining, as this ensures that it is nice and starchy.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Bacon Pasta - Step by Step
- Step 1: Put the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes. 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the frozen peas.
- Step 2: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, garlic and chopped bacon and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
- Step 3: Drain the pasta and peas (reserving a little of the water) and add it to the frying pan with the spinach. Add about 100ml of the water and stir through.
Bacon Pasta Bake
If you wanted to make a pasta bake version of this, then first you will need to swap the spaghetti for a pasta shape like penne or fussili. Then follow the recipe and mix everything together and put in a baking dish.
Cover the pasta with grated cheddar and then put it in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes, until the cheese has gone golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
This is a pretty hearty and filling meal as it is, and not particularly low on calories. So, we tend to just bulk it out with a big green salad. However, if you were serving this up at a dinner party, then some homemade garlic bread would go down well.
If you wanted some extra veggie sides, then I recommend our Roasted Garlic and Herb Mushrooms, Spanish Olives, Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our ;Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette. You could also try our Grilled Little Gem Salad, or Cucumber and Radish Salad.
Extra Tips
- We used smoked back bacon for this bacon pasta recipe. You want to use a bacon with a high fat content ideally, to get that rich flavour. However, if you want to save some calories then you could use turkey bacon.
- The pasta water is what makes the sauce for this dish, however if you want it saucier, you could add creme fraiche, cream or even some marinara.
- You can use any veg you like in this dish. Swap spinach for kale, or add some diced mushroom, peppers and courgettes at the same time as the shallots.
- This is a fairly heavy dish, so try to serve it with extra veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions
We love a dish that we can pack full of vegetables and this is definitely one of those. We have give it a green boost with some spinach and peas, but this is a super adaptable dish.
You could swap the spinach for kale (or do a mix of the two). When you are cooking the shallots, you could add some finely chopped mushrooms, peppers and courgettes too.
There isn't actually a sauce for this pasta, well, not in the traditional sense anyway. Instead, we have kept it simple and used the flavour intense juices from the bacon, mixed with shallots and garlic and then added a little of the pasta water to loosen it all up.
You could stir in some creme fraiche, cream or even a little marinara if you wanted it more saucy. This isn't a dry pasta dish at all, and pasta water actually helps to make it nice and creamy. Give it a try!
Any leftovers of this pasta dish will store in the fridge for up to 2 days. You will need to add a little water to it, as it will dry out, and then heat it in a little oil in a frying pan.
More Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this bacon pasta, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
- 140 g (5 oz) Spaghetti
- 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 Shallots - diced
- 2 Garlic clove - diced
- 3 rasher Bacon - diced
- 70 g (0.5 cups) Frozen peas
- 60 g (2 cups) Spinach
- 20 g (0.25 cups) Parmesan - shaved (to serve)
- Fresh basil - (to serve)
Instructions
- Put 140 g Spaghetti into a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes. 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add 70 g Frozen peas.
- Heat 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil in a frying pan and add 3 Shallots, 2 Garlic clove and 3 rasher Bacon (chopped) and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
- Drain the pasta and peas (reserving a little of the water) and add it to the frying pan with 60 g Spinach. Add about 100ml of the water and stir through.
- Serve topped with 20 g Parmesan and Fresh basil.
Recipe Tips
- We used smoked back bacon for this recipe. You want to use a bacon with a high fat content ideally, to get that rich flavour. However, if you want to save some calories then you could use turkey bacon.
- The pasta water is what makes the sauce for this dish, however if you want it saucier, you could add creme friache, cream or even some marinara.
- You can use any veg you like in this dish. Swap spinach for kale, or add some diced mushroom, peppers and courgettes at the same time as the shallots.
- This is a fairly heavy dish, so try to serve it with extra veggies.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Cate says
How how simple and tasty this pasta looks!! Saving to make soon. :)
Amanda Marie Boyle says
Looks so good. I'm always looking for ways to shake up my pasta routine, since it's one of the few foods my toddler will consistently eat.
Pam Greer says
This is exactly the kind of pasta recipe that I was looking for! Lots of veggies, bacon and crazy easy!
Marlynn says
Everyone in my house loves this bacon pasta! I appreciate how easy and fast it is to make. Thanks!
David says
Yum! love simple pasta recipes like this. And with bacon you don't need a lot else for flavor; I like the idea of peas along with it.
Gloria says
Well bacon makes everything taste better. The perfect pairing with pasta. My grankids would love this for dinner next sleepover.
Toni Dash says
This is so good!! Everyone at my house loved this!
Sue says
I love how easy this is, and it makes such a hearty dish! A winner!
Jeannette says
You had me at 'easy'! Love how smoked bacon is the star of this dish. Extra flavour! Thanks for sharing such a wonderfu recipe :D
Beth Sachs says
Just the kind of quick recipe I need to feed 3 hungry kids on school nights. So filling and tasty!
Soniya says
Love pasta and always look for different recipes. I have all the ingredients can't wait to try it
Taylor Kiser says
Comfort food dinner for the win! Quick and easy too! This one checks off all the boxes!
Angela says
A great recipe to add to your weeknight rotation. So quick and easy!
Charla says
We love a dish that is tasty and quick to prepare. I love that it only takes 15 minutes to cook. Sign me up!!
Julia says
I make bacon pasta a lot as we love it. Love how easy your recipe looks and more importantly I only need a few ingredients to make it. Thanks for the inspiration :)!