Creamy Garlic Bacon Pasta (Printable)

Rich pasta tossed in creamy sauce with crispy bacon and sautéed garlic, finished with Parmesan and parsley.

# Components:

→ 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 cheese, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 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 tablespoon of bacon fat.
03 - In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in Parmesan cheese, cooked bacon, and black pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and additional pepper if needed. Remove from heat. Plate the pasta, garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely ready in half an hour, which means weeknight dinner or unexpected company becomes totally doable.
  • The bacon-fat base means you're building flavor from the first step, so the whole dish feels more intentional than it has any right to.
  • Cream sauce clings to pasta in a way that makes every bite feel luxurious without actually trying.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining—it's starchy and essential for adjusting sauce consistency at the end; I learned this the hard way by over-thickening the sauce and basically making pasta cement.
  • Don't skip cooking the garlic gently in butter; raw garlic would taste harsh and muddy, but burned garlic tastes acrid and there's no coming back from it.
  • The cream will look thin when it first hits the pan, but it thickens as it simmers and the Parmesan dissolves into it, so don't panic or dump in more cheese.
03 -
  • Use fresh cracked black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan—the difference is subtle but real and changes how the sauce tastes.
  • If you accidentally burn the garlic, start over with a fresh skillet and fresh garlic; burnt garlic cannot be rescued and will haunt every bite.
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