Decadent Bacon Cream Cheese Pasta
The Most Delicious Bacon Cream Cheese Pasta You’ll Ever Make!
Craving pasta but don’t have a fully stocked pantry? This recipe uses simple ingredients you might already have, including leftover cream cheese! It’s a surprisingly rich and satisfying dish perfect for a weeknight meal. Give it a try – you won’t regret it!
Ingredients- 160g Pasta (spaghetti or your favorite kind)
- A drizzle of olive oil
- 1 Tbsp coarse salt (for boiling pasta)
- 20g Butter
- 2 Tbsp Cream cheese
- 1/2 medium Onion
- 4 strips thick-cut Bacon
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1L Water (for boiling pasta)
- 1 Tbsp Minced garlic
- 400ml Milk
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by bringing a large pot of 1L water to a rolling boil. Add 1 Tbsp of coarse salt. Once boiling, add your 160g of pasta and cook according to package directions, aiming for ‘al dente’ (slightly firm to the bite) – usually 1-2 minutes less than the recommended time. To prevent the pasta from sticking, add a small drizzle of olive oil to the boiling water. Before draining, reserve about one cup of the starchy pasta water; this will be used to adjust the sauce consistency later. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, prepare your aromatics. Finely slice the 1/2 medium onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a swirl of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté them until they become translucent and slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. This slow cooking process sweetens the onions and deepens their flavor.
Step 3
Once the onions are softened, add another small swirl of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the 1 Tbsp of minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), letting them sizzle for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Cut the 4 strips of bacon into bite-sized pieces (about 1cm wide) and add them to the pan. Cook the bacon until it’s golden brown and crispy, rendering out its flavorful fat. Make sure to stir occasionally so it cooks evenly.
Step 4
Now it’s time to create the creamy sauce. To the pan with the cooked bacon and onions, add 2 Tbsp of ketchup and 2 Tbsp of cream cheese. Stir well until the cream cheese has melted and incorporated into the mixture. Pour in the 400ml of milk and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over low heat. If the sauce seems too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Increase the heat slightly while adding the pasta water to help it thicken. Finally, add the drained pasta to the sauce along with a pinch of black pepper. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious homemade Bacon Cream Cheese Pasta!
