Bacon Pesto Pasta

Bacon pesto pasta will infuse your weeknight dinner with a ton of savory flavor! Make this extra easy and use jarred pesto, then load up your bowl with diced red onions and diced tomatoes for a nice crunch that balances the pasta.

INGREDIENTS

I love pesto recipes because you can use jarred pesto to make this super fast and easy. If you have leftover homemade pesto or just prefer to make it yourself you can totally do that, but on weeknights I need to convenience of the jar.

• Bacon. Cook 6 slices crispy then crumble it into little pieces. I have to exercise so much self control here and stop myself from snacking on bacon while I finish the rest of the recipe.
• Orecchiette pasta. I don’t use orecchiette often, but I think it really works for this recipe. It’s easier to manage in one bite than penne and it’s a bit more gourmet looking than shells or elbow macaroni.
• Pesto. You’ll need to use 1/2 cup of pesto. Several brands make jarred pesto so just use whichever is your favorite or go-to brand.
• Roma tomatoes. The tomatoes add a cool refreshing bite that helps balance some of the saltiness of the bacon and pesto.
• Red onions. Crunch factor!
• Pasta water. When the pasta is just about done cooking, carefully reserve 1/2 cup of the water. This is the best way to thin out a thick pasta sauce.
• Parmesan cheese. For garnishing.

HOW TO MAKE BACON PESTO PASTA

Here’s how you can be ultra time efficient in the kitchen and get this pasta dinner on the table fast!

Boil the water. It’s going to take 8 minutes to bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once you’ve got your rapid bowl, add the pasta and cook according to the box instructions.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon. When the pot of water is just sitting there waiting to boil, get the bacon going! I like mine crispy, plus it makes it easier to crumbled. Cook up the 6 slices then allow them to cool enough to where you can carefully handle the slices and crumbled them.

Dice. We’re still multi-tasking here. By now you’ve got your pasta and bacon cooking. Grate the cheese, dice the tomatoes, and dice the onions. Set aside until you’re ready to garnish.

Sauce time. At this point the pasta should be done and you can make the sauce. Add the pesto, cream, and reserved water to a pot and bring to a light simmer then remove from the heat. Add in the cooked pasta and bacon crumbles.

Garnish and eat. Now just serve into a bowl and top with as much tomatoes, onions, and cheese as you’d like!

HOW TO SERVE LEFTOVERS

Any leftovers store in a food container in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days for best freshness, textures, and flavors. The really great thing about this pasta is the leftovers are actually really good cold! So the first night you make this it’s a hot pasta dish, then the leftovers transform into a tasty cold pasta salad! I ate the leftovers as a pasta salad, and even served it as a side to a sandwich wrap the next day.

For more pesto recipes you’d can try some of these blog favorites!

Pesto Alfredo
Pesto Chicken Parm
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
Pesto Mayo
Chicken Pesto Orzo

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