Italian Pasta with Bacon
Indulge in a luscious pasta experience that brings together crispy bacon and gooey cheese for a delightful twist on a classic Italian favorite. This creamy dish is super easy to whip up, featuring al dente pasta and a rich, savory sauce that will have you coming back for seconds. Perfect for a cozy dinner or impressing friends, this recipe is sure to become a go-to in your kitchen!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 chopped onion
- half a cup of water (120 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 200 grams of bacon (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1 tablespoon of butter (14 g)
- 2 and a half cups of milk (600 ml)
- mozzarella cheese to tasteoptionalparmesan or cheddar can also be used
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 250 grams of noodles (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- half a teaspoon of black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
510
Protein
19g
Carbs
28g
Fat
36g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by heating the milk and water in a pot.
- 2
Add the noodles and cook for 15 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the butter until melted.
- 4
Season with salt, black pepper, and sweet paprika.
- 5
Add mozzarella cheese to your liking.
- 6
In another pan, heat olive oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
- 7
Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, cooking until fragrant.
- 8
Mix the bacon and onion-garlic mixture with the pasta.
- 9
Serve and enjoy your delicious pasta dish.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render bacon at 300-325°F for 8-10 minutes before crisping to 375°F for the final 2-3 minutes, which breaks down collagen into gelatin while minimizing smoke point oxidation and preserving fat-soluble paprika flavor compounds.timing300-325°F for 8-10 min, then 375°F for 2-3 min
- ✓Use a 5:1 milk-to-water ratio (your 2.5:0.5 cups) which provides 5% salinity in the cooking liquid—add noodles only after boiling for 60 seconds to prevent starch settling and uneven hydration in the first 4 minutes of cooking.techniqueBoil 60 seconds before adding noodles
- ✓Shred mozzarella into 3-4mm pieces and reserve it until after heat is removed; add it to the 180-190°F pasta mixture so residual heat melts it at 60-80°C without exceeding the protein denaturation point (above 65°C), which prevents stringiness and maintains emulsion.ingredientAdd at 180-190°F, melt at 60-80°C
- ✓Caramelize the chopped onion in bacon fat at 350°F for 5-6 minutes before garlic, which converts onion sugars into browning compounds via Maillard reaction and adds umami that complements paprika's pyrazine notes without overpowering them.timing5-6 minutes at 350°F before garlic
- ✓Temper the 1 tablespoon butter into the hot pasta immediately after draining by swirling off-heat for 45 seconds—this creates a 15-20% fat emulsion that coats starch granules and prevents cheese proteins from clumping when incorporated.technique45 seconds off-heat swirling
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Italian Pasta with Bacon
Indulge in a luscious pasta experience that brings together crispy bacon and gooey cheese for a delightful twist on a classic Italian favorite. This creamy dish is super easy to whip up, featuring al dente pasta and a rich, savory sauce that will have you coming back for seconds. Perfect for a cozy dinner or impressing friends, this recipe is sure to become a go-to in your kitchen!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 chopped onion
- half a cup of water (120 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 200 grams of bacon (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1 tablespoon of butter (14 g)
- 2 and a half cups of milk (600 ml)
- mozzarella cheese to tasteoptionalparmesan or cheddar can also be used
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 250 grams of noodles (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- half a teaspoon of black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
510
Protein
19g
Carbs
28g
Fat
36g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by heating the milk and water in a pot.
- 2
Add the noodles and cook for 15 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the butter until melted.
- 4
Season with salt, black pepper, and sweet paprika.
- 5
Add mozzarella cheese to your liking.
- 6
In another pan, heat olive oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
- 7
Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, cooking until fragrant.
- 8
Mix the bacon and onion-garlic mixture with the pasta.
- 9
Serve and enjoy your delicious pasta dish.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render bacon at 300-325°F for 8-10 minutes before crisping to 375°F for the final 2-3 minutes, which breaks down collagen into gelatin while minimizing smoke point oxidation and preserving fat-soluble paprika flavor compounds.timing300-325°F for 8-10 min, then 375°F for 2-3 min
- ✓Use a 5:1 milk-to-water ratio (your 2.5:0.5 cups) which provides 5% salinity in the cooking liquid—add noodles only after boiling for 60 seconds to prevent starch settling and uneven hydration in the first 4 minutes of cooking.techniqueBoil 60 seconds before adding noodles
- ✓Shred mozzarella into 3-4mm pieces and reserve it until after heat is removed; add it to the 180-190°F pasta mixture so residual heat melts it at 60-80°C without exceeding the protein denaturation point (above 65°C), which prevents stringiness and maintains emulsion.ingredientAdd at 180-190°F, melt at 60-80°C
- ✓Caramelize the chopped onion in bacon fat at 350°F for 5-6 minutes before garlic, which converts onion sugars into browning compounds via Maillard reaction and adds umami that complements paprika's pyrazine notes without overpowering them.timing5-6 minutes at 350°F before garlic
- ✓Temper the 1 tablespoon butter into the hot pasta immediately after draining by swirling off-heat for 45 seconds—this creates a 15-20% fat emulsion that coats starch granules and prevents cheese proteins from clumping when incorporated.technique45 seconds off-heat swirling