This One Pot Bacon Alfredo is a quick and easy weeknight meal that’s full of flavor! It’s on your table in under 30 minutes, made in one pot and it has bacon! What more could a person ask for?
Bacon Alfredo Pasta
This one-pot bacon Alfredo is perfect for a date night for many reasons! Not only is it one of the best bacon recipes for dinner, but it’s also so incredibly easy.
It all comes together in just one pot, which I know will come as great news for busy at-home chefs like myself. The fewer dishes the better… and if I don’t have to sacrifice on flavor, well that’s a perfect meal in my opinion.
Did I mention it has bacon in it?! Creamy homemade Alfredo sauce paired with perfectly cooked pasta, plenty of Parmesan, and that crispy good stuff has me drooling just thinking about it.
Life gets busy, and you may not have time to go out on a date. Or, perhaps you’re saving up for your next getaway and don’t have a lot of wiggle room in your budget.
Whatever, the dilemma may be, don’t let that stop you from spending some quality time with your spouse. Spend your next date night at home and whip up this bacon Alfredo recipe for your other half!
Why You’ll Love This Alfredo Bacon Pasta
- It’s made in one pan — fewer dishes to worry about!
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Bursting with bacon
- Creamy, smoky, and comforting
Key Ingredients to Make Alfredo Pasta with Bacon
- BACON – Opt for thick-cut bacon for your bacon Alfredo. It is a bit more expensive, but it also boasts equal parts fat and protein, which will give you a much better flavor and texture.
- ONION AND GARLIC – Save a bit of the bacon fat to cook your onion and garlic! Trust me on this one.
- PASTA – I suggest using penne, rigatoni, or rotini for this dish.
- CHICKEN BROTH – You can also use vegetable broth if you’d like, but I’d stay away from water unless you’re in a crunch.
- SALT AND PEPPER – To taste!
- HEAVY CREAM – The base of your Alfredo bacon pasta sauce.
- PARMESAN CHEESE – Another key ingredient for the sauce! Freshly grated is best, but you can also use packaged varieties as long as they’re finely grated.
- CORNSTARCH – To thicken the sauce.
- PARSLEY – Use fresh parsley as a garnish!
Instructions to Make Bacon Alfredo
PREPARE THE BACON: Place the bacon in a skillet and cook until it’s crispy. Set on a paper towel to drain, making sure to save a bit of the bacon grease to sauté the onion and garlic.
ADD THE AROMATICS: Add the onion to the skillet with the bacon grease and sauté over medium until soft, then add the garlic.
COOK THE PASTA: Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and add the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let it simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Add the cornstarch and a bit of water to a small bowl and stir to create a slurry. Stir it into the pasta, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Add the Parmesan and heavy cream and stir until the cheese is melted. Garnish with the cooked bacon and fresh parsley… dinner is served!
Serving Suggestions for Alfredo Pasta with Bacon
One of the best things about making bacon recipes for dinner is that you know it will be hearty and satisfying!
That said, you could definitely top off this meal with simple roasted green beans (pop those in the oven while you make the bacon alfredo pasta), simple Caesar salad (prep this ahead of time), and garlic cheddar biscuits (which can also be made ahead of time and just briefly warmed in the oven with the green beans).
Some simple dessert options would be homemade chewy brownies topped with some ice cream and drizzled with hot fudge and caramel (one of my favorites!), or this skillet blondie with bourbon caramel pecans which is so good!
FAQ
The cornstarch slurry is a must for thickening your bacon alfredo sauce. You could also make a slurry with all-purpose flour, or your favorite GF option. I recommend adding the slurry a few teaspoons at a time to get the consistency you’re after!
I personally swear by rotini, penne, and rigatoni. The sauce pools in the little crevices, and it’s magical! You could also take note of more traditional Alfredo recipes which tend to use fettuccini or linguine. It ultimately comes down to personal preference!
They’re similar but not the same! Cream sauce is a more generic term for a sauce that uses sauce as its base. Alfredo is a specific type of cream sauce that’s made with heavy cream and cheese and sometimes butter.
All Alfredo sauces are cream sauces, but not all cream sauces are Alfredo!
You can use milk or half & half — both will give you the creamy texture and consistency you’re after. You could also add a bit of butter or cream cheese to give you the rich flavor that you would normally get from heavy cream.
Make Bacon Alfredo Pasta for Your Next Date Night
Date night in really can be stress-free, but it does require a little planning and prep work to make it work, especially if you have kiddos!
I try to prepare as much in advance as I can — salads, breads, desserts, and appetizers can typically be made ahead of time.
Also, don’t feel obligated to make everything from scratch either! If you need to take some help from the store do it!
Oh, also a nice bottle of wine goes great with Alfredo pasta with bacon too, just saying! 🙂
More Pasta Recipes To Try
- Chicken Florentine Pasta Casserole
- Taco Pasta
- Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet (Hamburger Helper)
- One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this Alfredo bacon pasta!
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One Pot Bacon Alfredo
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick cut bacon
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces penne, rotini or rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Set on paper towel to drain. Drain grease, reserving 1-2 tablespoons in pan. Cook onion over medium heat until soft and light brown (about 2 min) stir in garlic.
- Add in pasta and broth and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring twice during cooking.
- In a small bowl combine cornstarch with a very small amount of water and stir into pasta. Remove from heat and stir in cream and cheese until cheese has melted. Garnish with chopped bacon and parsley. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly.
So easy…….so fast…….sooooo good!
Thank you very much!!!
We have Paul Bunion bacon here. In your dish, exactly as it’s written, it’s perfection. It tastes like… more.
I forgot the star button.
Thanks!
The One Pot Bacon Alfredo is soo good, everyone has to try it, oh my goodness, delicious. I cooked this for my sons and I , they loved it. Thank you so much, I will make again. Yummy.
Thank you VERY much!! I am so glad everyone liked it!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. My kids love it. Very simple and easy to make. I didn’t have penne so I used elbow pasta.
Thank you so much!! And great substitute!!
Could I use a different kind of cheese? I don’t have any parmesan on hand, only marble!
Hi! So sorry I didn’t respond to your comment sooner!! If you use a different cheese it will alter the flavor of the alfredo.
This is a delicious dish. I have made it many times. Always a hit with my family.
Thank you so much!! I am so glad your family loves it!
Are you supposed to drain the pasta once it is cooked?
No you do not drain the pasta.
This is really delicious. I doubled it and there was just enough to feed 4 adults. I don’t think it would feed 4 without it being doubled unless it was being served as a side. I added a bit more pasta and broth. I also added more bacon. The flavour is great. It’s definitely a keeper. I think adding cubes chicken to this would also be tasty.
I am so glad you liked it!! And thanks for the note about the servings. Also, I agree that it would be great with chicken!
This looks pretty good. Im about to make it, but the directions left out the garlic. When do you cook the garlic?
Sorry I didn’t reply to you sooner!! I hope you were able to find where it said to add the garlic.
Depending on the bacon, broth or cheese used it can be very salty. I would maybe make a note to salt after cooking has finished. Other than that I loved it! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for your suggestion, I will add that to the post. Glad you liked it!
Can I cook the pasta separately? I dont feel comfortable cooking it in with everything else haha. I’m not a good cook as you can see.
You could cook it separately however, the sauce will not thicken because it needs the starch from the pasta to do so. One pot cooking is a great place to start if you are uncomfortable with cooking because they are simpler dishes. I urge you to give it a try and let me know if you have any questions!
Can I use coconut milk instead of cream ?
I haven’t tried it with coconut milk so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. I think it would work but it will probably alter the taste.
Would like to make this for about 25 servings. Can you help me with ingredient amounts?
Hi Gail! Sure thing! I would suggest using 35 strips of bacon, 3 large onions, 14 cloves of garlic, 7 (8oz) boxes of pasta, 14 cups of broth, 3.5 cups of heavy cream, 7 cups of Parmesan, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chopped parsley. Let me know if you have any other questions.
This was a hit at the home!!! Great choice and easy to make!
YAY!! I am so glad you liked it and thank you for your comment!!
If i wanted to add chicken to this, when would i add it??
Sorry I didn’t get back with you sooner. Add some chopped chicken in while cooking the bacon and continue as normal. Hope you like it!
I have made this twice with 2 kinds of cheese and they both clumped. What am I doing wrong? Flavor is amazing though
I think I need to edit the instructions because sometimes adding cheese to something very hot (boiling) can cause it to clump. I should have the instructions say to reduce the heat then stir in the cheese. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Jamie I made this as well mine got a bit clumpy and was very think I will try it with less cornstarch with more water added to make a cream sauce not a paste n stir in the cheese quickly and remove from heat. Also cornstarch is supposed to cook at a boil for at least 1minute before reducing heat
Made this tonight and whoa!!! So delish!! Thank you
I am so glad you enjoyed!! Thank you for your comment! 🙂
This was so good and easy to make!
Thank you very much! So glad you liked it!!
This was fantastic, and really appreciated the 1 pan thing.
I am so glad you enjoyed it!!! I love one pot meals too! 🙂
it doesn’t say when you are supposed to add the cornstarch.. thanks
Thank you for catching that!! I fixed the recipe. Thanks again!! 🙂
Can you substitute the cream for milk?
You can, however, it will not be quite as creamy.
Bring on the BACON! Is there anything better than creamy pasta with bacon? I don’t think so. Gorgeous photos Malinda!
Thank you, Karen!! I have to agree it’s hard to beat bacon and creamy pasta!! 🙂
I have made this twice and absolutely love it! The second time I doubled the recipe so I could take leftovers to work! 😂 Easy after work meal for the whole family!
That’s great!! So glad you liked it!
One pot? Bacon? Pasta? HECK YES! This is my kind of dinner!
Lol, thanks Julie! 🙂