Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 12 oz uncooked pasta
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup tomato paste (double concentrated)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 handful fresh basil, sliced thin
- Salt & pepper to taste
Get Your Pasta Water Going and Cook the Bacon
Get a large pot of salted water boiling and cook your pasta al dente according to package directions.
While that’s happening, cut the bacon into small pieces – kitchen shears work great for this.
Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, ~6-8 minutes.
Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave about 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat in the pan. Don’t drain it all – that’s where the flavor is.
Build the Sauce Base
Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion in the bacon fat until softened, ~5-7 minutes.
The onions will pick up all those browned bits from the bacon.
Stir in the garlic and white wine, and let it bubble for ~30 seconds. You’ll smell the alcohol cook off.
Add Tomato Paste and Cream
Add the tomato paste, cream, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Stir until the sauce is smooth – the tomato paste will want to clump at first but keep stirring.
Let it cook for ~5 minutes until it thickens up a bit. You’re looking for it to coat the back of a spoon.
Finish and Combine
Stir the cooked bacon and basil back into the sauce.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. The residual heat will melt it without making it grainy.
If the sauce looks too thick, thin it with a little hot pasta water before you drain the pasta.
Drain the cooked pasta, add it to the skillet, and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.
The pasta will continue absorbing the sauce, so don’t let it sit around.
Spicy Bacon Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 12 oz uncooked pasta
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup tomato paste double concentrated
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 handful fresh basil sliced thin
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Cut bacon into small pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave 2 Tbsp bacon fat in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium and sauté onion in bacon fat until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and white wine, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste, cream, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring until smooth.
- Cook for 5 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Stir cooked bacon and basil into sauce.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
- Drain pasta and add to skillet, tossing to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
