One of the easiest ever pasta dishes, this Easy Bacon and Tomato Pasta takes just 15 minutes and is made with just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen – perfect for ‘dinner emergencies’ and any time when you need delicious dinner in a hurry!
Got a dinner emergency? Make Bacon and Tomato Pasta!
Everyone needs a ‘dinner emergency’ recipe, right? A quick, simple, crowd-pleasing dish that can be made with ingredients you always have in your kitchen – perfect for when plans fall through or you have unexpected guests.
Well, this Bacon and Tomato Pasta is my ‘dinner emergency’ recipe!
It takes just 15 minutes from start to finish, and is made with just 5 ingredients I always have in my kitchen: pasta, bacon lardons, garlic, passata and basil.
I always have a stash of pasta and passata (or tinned tomatoes) in my cupboard, I always have several bulbs of garlic in my fridge, bacon lardons I keep in the freezer (you can cook them straight from frozen) and I always have a pot of fresh basil on my kitchen windowsill. So I know that when a ‘dinner emergency’ strikes, I’m ready!
But quick and simple doesn’t mean boring, this Easy Bacon and Tomato Pasta is packed full of flavour and a favourite in the Gargano house – even when it’s not a dinner emergency!
How to make Bacon and Tomato Pasta
This really is one of the easiest ever pasta dishes.
All you need to do is put the pasta on to boil, fry the bacon and garlic, then add the passata and simmer until reduced and thickened. Finally, add the chopped basil, black pepper and cooked pasta to the sauce. Easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Bacon and Tomato Pasta
This delicious bacon pasta is a complete meal in its own right and really doesn’t need any other accompaniments.
But if you are feeling extra hungry, you could serve it with garlic bread (I keep a stash of that in my freezer too!) and/or a simple side salad (there’s always salad in my fridge!)
What to drink with Bacon and Tomato Pasta
The bold flavours in this dish go best with red wine – especially Italian reds. Go for a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a Chianti or any similar Italian wine. Alternatively, go for an Italian red grape variety from somewhere else, like an Australian or US Sangiovese.
If you prefer white, I’d recommend a bold and gutsy Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like Chile or New Zealand.
Alternatively, try a fruity rosé from the South of France or Spain.
Love easy pasta recipes?
Then you’ll love:
- Easy Creamy Carbonara
- Sausage and Tomato Pasta
- Easy Creamy Chorizo Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Tagliatelle
- Fusilli Bolognese
Easy Creamy Carbonara
Make it your own!
This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to adapt it to suit your tastes! Here are a few ideas:
- Use chorizo, instead of bacon
- Add cooked chicken or cooked prawns, as well as or instead of the bacon
- Fry some diced fresh chicken in the bacon fat, before continuing with the recipe
- Add veggies such as peppers, courgette, aubergine, carrots or mushrooms, as well as (or instead of) the bacon.
- Use dried oregano, instead of (or as well as) the basil
- Use dried Italian mixed herbs, instead of (or as well as) the basil
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comment section below.)
What to do with leftover Bacon Pasta
This is definitely a dish that’s best eaten fresh. But if you do end up with leftovers, I recommend turning the leftovers into a pasta bake.
Simply, put any leftovers in a plastic lidded container and place in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, put the leftovers in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese. Place into an oven preheated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F). Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Bacon Pasta?
I don’t recommend freezing pasta. However, the sauce freezes very well. Simply put the cooked and cooled sauce into a plastic lidded container and place it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, before stirring into freshly cooked pasta.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Creamy Chicken Carbonara with Bacon
- Easy Bacon Macaroni Cheese
- Cauliflower, Broccoli and Bacon Pasta Bake
- Easy Lentil and Bacon Soup
- Bacon And Egg Fried Rice
Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
Easy Bacon and Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g fusilli (Or any pasta shape you like! This also works well with penne, spaghetti, tagliatelle and fettucine.)
- 300 g bacon lardons (or diced bacon)
- 3 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 400 ml passata
- 2 tablespoons basil finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Black pepper to taste
- Grated parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions / your own preferences. When cooked, drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. (See Note 1.)
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat for 1 minute.
- Place the bacon in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden on all sides.
- Turn the heat right down and wait 30 seconds (this is to avoid burning the garlic).
- Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, stirring frequently, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
- Add the passata, then turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes until reduced and thickened.
- Add the chopped basil and black pepper, and stir well.
- Add the drained pasta, together with a very small splash of pasta cooking water. Stir together well. (If the pasta is looking too dry at this point, you can add an extra splash of pasta cooking water – but don’t go too mad. The sauce is supposed to be quite thick and cling to the pasta.)
- Turn off the heat and serve, scattered with more chopped fresh basil and some grated parmesan.
Notes
- I recommend cooking the pasta until it’s nearly but not quite your desired texture as it will cook a little bit more in the sauce.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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