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Garlic & Bacon Pasta

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Frying Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 450 g Dried Spaghetti
  • 10-12 Strips Bacon thick cut streaky
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 6 cloves Garlic chopped
  • Parsley fresh for garnish
  • Parmesan Cheese freshly grated for garnish

Instructions

Cook the Pasta 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the salt and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet suggests.

1 tbsp salt
  • 
450g dried spaghetti

  • Once the pasta is cooked reserve 2 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.


Whilst the Pasta is cooking

  • Chop the bacon into smallish dice, add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a frying pan then cook the bacon over medium high for 4-5 minutes until crispy.

8 strips bacon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Whilst the bacon is cooking peel and thinly slice the garlic.
  • 6 cloves garlic 
  • Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil and bacon grease behind.

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Reduce the heat under the pan and add the remaining olive oil and the sliced garlic. Stir constantly for 2 minutes and as soon as the garlic has softened but not yet colored, add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and turn the heat back up. 
  • chopped garlic
  • 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
  • Boil this mixture for a minute then add in the now drained pasta, keeping the frying pan on the heat.
  • Add a further 1/2cup of pasta water and toss and stir the pasta in the sauce until it is cooked to your liking. You might need to add more pasta water.
  • 1/2-1 cup extra pasta cooking water
  • Once your garlic' sauce' has coated the pasta, add the cooked bacon and any collected juices back into the pasta then season to taste. (Depending on the saltiness of your bacon you might need salt, but it will definitely want some pepper)
.
  • Serve garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

Notes

You want to pick a bacon that has plenty of flavor and a good amount of fat. The fat is what makes the sauce, so don’t go for turkey bacon or bacon eyes. Good old fashioned streaky bacon is best here.