Creamy Garlic Bacon Pasta (Printable)

Silky garlic cream with crispy bacon coats tender pasta for a rich, comforting main dish.

# What You Need:

→ 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, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until golden and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet, discard the rest.
03 - Melt butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, avoiding browning.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in Parmesan cheese, cooked bacon, and black pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and additional pepper as needed. Remove from heat. Divide onto plates, garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The bacon fat is your secret weapon, giving depth that cream alone could never achieve.
  • One skillet does almost everything, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
02 -
  • Never skip reserving pasta water. That starch is what transforms a thick, broken sauce into something silky and cohesive.
  • The moment garlic hits the pan, watch it like a hawk. Thirty seconds of lost attention and it goes from fragrant to burnt, ruining everything.
  • Taste the pasta a minute or two before the timer says it's done. Packages lie sometimes, and catching it at al dente changes everything.
03 -
  • Keep the heat low when adding garlic to the butter and bacon fat. Low and slow means fragrant and sweet, not bitter and burnt.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh, not from a shaker. Pre-grated cheese has cellulose in it that breaks the sauce and makes it grainy instead of silky.
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