Creamy Garlic Bacon Pasta (Printable)

Silky cream sauce envelops pasta with crispy bacon and aromatic garlic for a rich, satisfying meal.

# Required Ingredients:

→ 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

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. 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. Discard all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat.
03 - Melt butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add 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 for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in sauce. 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.
07 - Divide among plates, garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
  • The bacon fat does the heavy lifting, so you barely need any extra butter or oil to build deep flavor.
  • Pasta water is your secret weapon here, turning cream into something that coats every strand instead of pooling at the bottom.
02 -
  • Bacon fat is not the enemy—it's actually your best friend here, building flavor depth that butter or oil alone can't match, so don't feel guilty about using it.
  • Pasta water is magic in a cream sauce because it's starchy and salty; it transforms thick cream into something that clings to noodles instead of sliding off, so reserve it before draining.
03 -
  • Never add cold cream straight into a hot pan—let it come to room temperature first or pour it in slowly while stirring, which prevents curdling and keeps your sauce silky instead of broken.
  • The key to a sauce that clings to pasta instead of pooling is that starchy pasta water; it's worth reserving even if you think you won't need it, because the adjustment happens in seconds.
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