Recipe video above. You're just 15 minutes away from this pasta with golden crispy bacon in a garlic tomato pasta sauce! Scale recipe by hovering cursor over Servings (see Note 2).
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Bacon pasta, tomato pasta with bacon
Servings: 2
Calories: 567cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
160 g / 5 ozspaghetti or other long strand pasta of choice
1tspolive oil(or butter)
150 - 180 g / 5 - 6 ozbacon, diced
1garlic clove, minced
1/2onion, finely diced (brown, white, yellow)
400 g / 14 ozcanned crushed tomato
Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar, if needed (Note 1)
Extra virgin olive oil
Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
Have the ingredients lined up and ready to start cooking at the same time.
Bring a large pot of water to the bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Cook pasta according to packet but MINUS 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add bacon and cook for 1 minute, then add garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent and bacon is golden. Drain excess fat if desired.
Scoop out a mug of pasta cooking water, then pour about 1/2 cup into the skillet. Bring to simmer and stir, scraping the skillet to dissolve in all the golden bits stuck on the pan into the liquid.
Add tomato, bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes, then turn down to medium high.
Drain pasta, or if you timed it right, use tongs to transfer it straight from the pot into the skillet.
Toss gently using two wooden spoons for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is no longer sitting in the skillet, it's all on the pasta (see video). If it gets too thick, just add an extra splash of the pasta cooking water.
Season with salt and pepper (remember bacon is salty!).
Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan, parsley and final drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
1. SUGAR: The sweetness and flavour of canned tomatoes is affected by the quality of the brand. Better value canned tomatoes can be a touch sour. To take the edge off, add a pinch of sugar.2. Pasta per serving - I allow 80g / 2.5 oz pasta per person (uncooked weight), which is a generous bowl. This makes enough sauce for up to 100g / 3.5oz pasta per person. If you SCALE the recipe (hover over servings), just make sure you use a giant skillet to handle all the pasta. Tip: A large wok is brilliant for making a double batch in one go.3. Nutrition per serving. The calories can be reduced by about 100 calories by using turkey bacon, ham or lean bacon.