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This bacon tomato pasta recipe uses a handful of everyday ingredients and is super quick and simple to make! The creamy garlic sauce is decadent and delicious.
Bacon and fresh tomatoes in a cream sauce are such a good combo. I was inspired by my Shrimp and Bacon Pasta, but I wanted something even simpler (and without the shrimp, obviously). The tomatoes lighten the dish up a bit as they soften and release their juices into the cream sauce.
Aside from the taste of this recipe (I polished off a good half of it all by myself), the best part for me is how straightforward this dish is. This is one of those recipes where after a long day/week/year it’s nice to just come home and throw it all together. I feel this will be my new go-to when I am craving a creamy pasta dish!
Recipe notes & tips:
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for anything like half-and-half or milk because the acidity of the sauce and high heat it’s cooked over could curdle it pretty easily. With that said, you’re welcome to experiment. You may need to add an additional thickener like flour or cornstarch to get the results you want.
- I used bucatini pasta for this recipe (see photos), and where has it been all my life?! It’s not a shape I normally buy, but since I love spaghetti so much, I am surprised I haven’t been buying it. Anyway, use spaghetti or whatever shape you’ve got on hand. I like long noodles for this particular dish, though.
- Add some red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.
- You could try making this with grape/cherry tomatoes… I would use a handful of them and cook them until they burst.
What to serve with creamy bacon tomato pasta:
Try a side salad (use my Caesar dressing to make the best Caesar salad) or some garlic bread.
Other bacon & pasta recipes to try:
I hope you’ll love this tomato and bacon pasta recipe! Questions? Leave me a comment below. Be sure to tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you make one of my recipes.
Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I used bucatini)
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium tomato cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- Pepper to taste
- Garnish: freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta.
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces (I like using kitchen shears for this) and add it to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crispy (about 7-10 minutes).
- Spoon out excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in there).
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato, cream, and Italian seasoning. Let it bubble for 5 minutes or so until the sauce has reduced to your liking (turn the heat down if it starts to furiously boil). It's not a super thick sauce, but it should be thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon.
- Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet, and toss with the sauce (add a bit of the hot pasta water prior to draining it if the sauce gets too thick for your liking). You can either add the parmesan at this step and toss the whole thing or grate some over top of each bowl. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Serves 2-4. If you've got 4 super hungry people and aren't serving it with anything else, I recommend doubling the recipe.
- The bacon is pretty salty, so you may not need to add extra salt to this recipe.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Sounds delicious! I’m going to make it tonight. I don’t have heavy cream on hand, can I substitute for cream of mushroom soup?
Condensed soup isn’t a direct swap for heavy cream, so we wouldn’t recommend it. It’s only been tested as written. You’re welcome to experiment, but we can’t predict what the results would be. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe exactly as written 20+ times – it is reliably fantastic. Tonight I tried it as a one-pan recipe. At/after step 5, I added dry pasta and a mix of chicken broth and water until the pasta was cooked through. My goodness, if it’s possible, it made the recipe that much better! Extra saucy, starchy, and great flavor throughout. Thanks for the always awesome recipes!
I’m thrilled to hear it’s a favorite of yours!! Thanks for the one pan tips!
I added some pan fried mushrooms as they needed to be used. Easy, quick and tasty recipe, even though I forgot the parmesan 🤦♀️Thanks Natasha!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 😀
Our family loves this recipe. It’s in our rotation! Thank you for the simple ingredients and directions!
That’s so nice to hear!! 😀
Really good recipe. Only had bacon, tomatoes and pasta in the house and this worked out perfectly.
That’s great to hear, Tay! Thank you!
Just finished eating this and it was lovely! I added a cheeky bit of cream cheese mixed with herbs.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andy! 🙂
I made this dish this week. Everyone loved it- there were no leftovers. I appreciate that your recipes use ingredients that I usually have in my pantry/fridge. For this working mom- fast, delicious meals are what I love!
I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂
I found this to be a very versatile recipe! Just made it, but I didn’t have heavy cream and substituted greek yogurt. Tastes amazing. I eyeballed the amounts mostly, added extra garlic and maybe a Tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Fresh bacon bits were on hand, so I had even less cooking prep to do. Topped with fresh parsley, grated parmigiano and served with a salad. Delicious!
I’m so glad you were able to tweak it based on what you had on hand! Happy you found it simple and delicious, Christine! 🙂
Hi I’m trying this tonight and can’t wait after reading all the reviews – I’m just thinking I may make double so if any leftovers, can they be frozen ?
Hmmm… I’m not sure that this is the best recipe to freeze, unfortunately. Cream sauces are notoriously bad for reheating, and I’m not sure how the fresh tomato would work either. I mean, you could give it a try and see how it goes for you. It’s possible that you’ll be totally happy with the results. I’d reheat on a low heat to hopefully help with the sauce separating.
Hi do you use smoked or unsmoked bacon?
Smoked. I’m not sure I’ve ever had unsmoked bacon.