Description
A delicious, incredibly easy Bacon Pasta Recipe with the perfect balance of fatty bacon, sweet onions, starchy pasta, and bright fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 pound of spaghetti or other long pasta shape such as fusilli, bucatini, or fettucine
- 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into cubes or small slsices
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- A pinch of red chili flake
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water.
- 1 cup of reserved pasta water / cooking liquid (see instructions)
Instructions
- Place the sliced bacon in a cold, large skillet then set the skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the bacon fat has rendered, which takes about 7 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy bacon onto a paper towel off to the side.
- Add the sliced onions and chili flakes to skillet and sauté for about 8 minutes until the onions have darkened significantly.
- In a large pot of salted water (filled only half way with water!!) cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente. Using less water helps create a more densely starchy pasta cooking liquid, which is what makes the sauce thick and saucy.
- Transfer 1 cup of pasta water from the pot to the skillet, along with the the reserved bacon, the fresh parsley, and the cooked spaghetti. Toss to combine and continue to toss until the sauce has thickened and coats the spaghetti. If it gets too thick or too greasy, add a splash more water.
- That's it! Serve with more red pepper and parmesan cheese if desired.
Keywords: bacon spaghetti recipe, bacon pasta recipe, bacon pasta, bacon onion pasta