Creamy bacon pasta is the best easy weeknight pasta recipe. It takes hardly any time to make and the creamy tomato sauce pairs perfectly with the crispy bacon.
Creamy Cheese and Bacon Pasta with Tomatoes
If you’re looking for a fantastic and easy dinner to make during the week, this Italian-inspired bacon pasta is the recipe you’re looking for.
It’s kind of like spaghetti carbonara meets pink sauce pasta, and all the flavors combine magically.
The delicious smoky bacon combined with the rich and creamy tomato sauce will definitely have your mouth watering in between each bite.
Just when you think it’s the best thing you’ve had, you get a bite of the best part. A delicious warm cherry tomato bursts in your mouth and it’s basically a sauce of its own. It’s so delicious.
This was really enjoyed by everyone at the table. It’s a great feeling when you make something and even the kids have a clean plate at the end of dinner. Everyone from toddlers to teenagers will love this meal.
Pasta With Bacon Ingredients
To make this recipe you’ll need spaghetti, bacon, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, milk, and parmesan cheese.
Where I live cream cheese is a lot more affordable than heavy whipping cream, so that’s what I normally use in my pasta recipes. If you happen to heavy cream on hand though, feel free to use that instead!
If you opt to use heavy cream, you can omit the milk and cream cheese. You may need to use less chicken broth as well.
How To Make Creamy Bacon Pasta
Start by sauteing up the bacon pieces, and then saute the garlic in a little bit of the bacon grease. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Add the chicken broth, milk, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and bring it to a light boil. Melt in the cubed cream cheese and stir in the cherry tomatoes.
Once the cherry tomatoes start to burst, stir in the parmesan cheese, and then toss the cooked spaghetti and crispy bacon through the creamy sauce.
See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
What To Serve Bacon Pasta With
Try serving this with some classics, like a side salad and some crusty garlic bread. It would also be delicious served with some fresh roasted vegetables or some of these delicious 15-Minute Italian Green Beans.
Optional Adaptations and Additions
If you want to play with the flavors in this recipe a bit, the two places you can make additions are the vegetables and the meat.
Vegetables: My favorite veggies to add into this creamy pasta dish are any combination of spinach, kale, extra garlic, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, asparagus, eggplant, onion, and zucchini. It’s also delicious topped with fresh herbs like basil.
Meat: If you want to increase the protein, try adding in some sliced cooked chicken breast, ham, prosciutto, sautéed pancetta, crumbled cooked sausage, sautéed scallops, or seared shrimp.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
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Creamy Pasta Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire pasta recipes section! Some reader favorites are:
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Cream Cheese Pasta with Bacon
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Creamy One-Pot Chicken Pasta with Peas
BEST Creamy Bacon Pasta Recipe
Creamy bacon pasta is the best easy weeknight pasta recipe. It's quick and the creamy tomato sauce pairs perfectly with the crispy bacon.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound uncooked spaghetti (12 ounces or 340 grams)
- 8 slices of bacon (cut into 1/4 inch slices)
- 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces cream cheese (cubed, half brick)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)*
- Fresh diced parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a large lidded nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy.
- Halfway through cooking the bacon, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Remove the bacon from the pan, discard most of the bacon drippings, leaving just a little grease left in the pan to saute garlic. Put the pan back over medium heat and saute garlic for 1 minute, or until it’s aromatic.
- Add in the chicken broth, milk, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a light boil.
- Add in the cubed cream cheese, and stir occasionally until it has melted (about 5 minutes). Once the cream cheese has melted, add the cherry tomatoes to the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and let it bubble gently.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Once the cherry tomatoes have started to split, stir in the parmesan cheese and bacon. Drain the pasta once it’s finished cooking, and toss the spaghetti through the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and extra parmesan cheese, and serve.
Notes
*It's important to use freshly grated cheese, because the pre-grated kinds are coated in starch that makes it harder to melt into a sauce.
As the sauce rests, it will thicken.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 613Total Fat: 22.7gCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 4.4gSugar: 9.1gProtein: 25.9g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
If you’re looking for an easy creamy pasta that’s loaded with bacon and that the whole family will love, try this quick and easy bacon pasta!
