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Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta is a delectable dish that brings together the rich, velvety notes of a creamy sauce, the smoky allure of crispy bacon, and the bright, sweet burst of plump cherry tomatoes. My recipe is a breeze to whip up and guaranteed to leave you and your family craving for more!
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta:
- Tips & FAQs:
- Recipe:
- Check out these other great recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Creamy sauces, like Alfredo or carbonara, are known for their rich and savory flavors. When combined with bacon and tomatoes, they create a well-balanced, mouthwatering taste that appeals to many palates. Bacon adds a deep, smoky, and salty umami flavor to the dish. The cherry tomatoes are often on the sweeter side while still harboring a slight acidic element, which helps balance the richness of the cream and bacon. Cream sauces are mostly associated with the word “comfort”, therefore when tied with bacon, pasta, and sweet tomatoes, it becomes a comfort dish and a family favorite.
Ingredients for Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta:
- Spaghetti: Longer noodles pick up cream sauces well, however you are free to use any noodle! I recommend trying linguine, fettuccine, rigatoni, cavatappi, or even orecchiette.
- Thick-Cut Bacon: Thicker cut bacon offers more texture than just regular sliced bacon. You don’t lose it in the dish. I don’t like using the shelf-stable bacon bits; they’re not the best choice for this dish. You want that lovely bacon grease for the sauce!
- Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are sweeter in nature and are the perfect round and plump size for this dish. Each bite is a burst of sweetness with a touch of acid to balance out the rich sauce and bacon.
- Tomato Paste: Used for the cream sauce. It’s also concentrated, so you get more flavor and richness from it. It can also be used as a thickener!
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: The perfect touch for the sauce. It also acts as a thickener so it helps you achieve that beautiful thick sauce.
- Heavy Cream: What’s a cream sauce without cream?
- Salt, Pepper, Mustard Powder, Oregano, Onion Powder: Mustard powder is crucial here. It cuts through the intensity of the creamy sauce and fatty bacon so you won’t feel as sluggish after eating a portion.
- Fresh Chopped Basil: Without it, the sauce will feel incomplete. You need that vibrant herbaceous note to finish it off.
- Garlic Cloves: What’s a pasta recipe without garlic?
- Chicken Broth: This is to deglaze the pan and pick up those delectable browned bits from the bacon.
Tips & FAQs:
- Storage: Allow the dish to cool down completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish. It will separate.
- Why do I need mustard powder? Mustard powder is crucial here. It cuts through the intensity of the creamy sauce and fatty bacon so you won’t feel as sluggish and full after eating a portion. You won’t taste the mustard powder, I promise you!
- Don’t have fresh cherry tomatoes? You can replace them with a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained. The flavor and texture from the softened cherry tomatoes are more pleasantly appealing to the palate, however, a firmer and more uniform texture may be preferred by others.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Recipe:
Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pints)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (2 tbsp)
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp yellow mustard powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil with salt and cook pasta 1 min before al dente, drain, and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crispy, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to catch excess grease. Get rid of any black bits in the pan, but keep the browned bits—reserve 2 tbsp bacon grease.
- Increase heat to medium and pour in chicken broth, gently scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Add in the cherry tomatoes. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are starting to split. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Stir in the tomato paste until thoroughly combined, spread out, and not too clumpy. Season with salt, pepper, mustard powder, oregano, onion powder, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the heavy cream and stir in the basil. Add red pepper flakes, if using. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t overboil.
- Turn the heat to low and slowly add in the parmesan cheese, stirring as you add in more cheese. Toss in the pasta and add the pasta water, cook for 1 minute more or until the pasta is al dente. Stir in half the bacon, then serve with the remaining bacon on top.
Notes
Storage: Allow the dish to cool down completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish. It will separate.
Why do I need mustard powder? Mustard powder is crucial here. It cuts through the intensity of the creamy sauce and fatty bacon so you won’t feel as sluggish and full after eating a portion. You won’t taste the mustard powder, I promise you!
Don’t have fresh cherry tomatoes? You can replace them with a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained. The flavor and texture from the softened cherry tomatoes are more pleasantly appealing to the palate, however, a firmer and more uniform texture may be preferred by others.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
743.67Fat (grams)
44.05 gSat. Fat (grams)
21.67 gCarbs (grams)
65.07 gFiber (grams)
3.5 gSugar (grams)
6.79 gProtein (grams)
22.1 gSodium (milligrams)
758.65 mgCholesterol (grams)
104.98 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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