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Bacon Pesto Pasta is the 25-minute dinner that tastes fancy but comes together on the busiest weeknights, and it has been on our table since the girls were little because they cannot resist anything with crispy bacon. A fresh basil-pecan pesto coats every strand of spaghetti, then it all gets tossed with smoky bacon, just like a grown-up twist on our spaghetti and meatballs.
Homemade pesto and crispy bacon turn a pound of spaghetti into a restaurant-worthy dinner in minutes.
Bacon Pesto Pasta Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 491kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Savory and garlicky basil pesto with smoky, crispy bacon
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our spaghetti aglio e olio
Quick Answer
Blend fresh basil, Parmesan, toasted pecans, garlic, salt, and pepper with olive oil into a smooth pesto. Fry chopped bacon until crispy and reserve a tablespoon of the grease, then cook a pound of spaghetti to al dente. Toss the hot pasta with the pesto, the bacon grease, and a splash of reserved pasta water, then garnish the bacon pesto pasta with the crispy bacon and serve.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Fresh pesto beats the jar. Blending basil, Parmesan, and pecans fresh gives the pasta a bright, garlicky flavor you just cannot get from store-bought pesto.
- Pecans are a budget swap for pine nuts. Toasted pecans bring the same buttery richness as pine nuts at a fraction of the cost, and they taste amazing with the bacon.
- Bacon grease is liquid gold. Tossing in a tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease coats the noodles in smoky flavor and helps the pesto cling.
- Pasta water makes it saucy. A splash of starchy pasta water loosens the pesto into a silky sauce that clings to every strand.
- Tossing while hot melts it together. Adding the pesto to hot pasta warms it just enough to coat the noodles without cooking out the fresh basil flavor.
- It comes together fast. While the pasta boils, you blend the pesto and fry the bacon, so the whole dinner is ready in about 25 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in about 25 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner that tastes special.
- Homemade basil-pecan pesto plus crispy bacon is a flavor combo the whole family loves.
- It is endlessly versatile, great on its own or as a base for adding chicken or veggies, like our chicken alfredo bake.
Key Ingredients
- Fresh Basil: Two packed cups of fresh basil are the heart of the pesto, giving it that bright, herby flavor.
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon fried crispy adds smoky, salty crunch and flavors the whole dish with its grease.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano adds nutty, salty depth to the pesto.
- Pecans: Toasted pecans stand in for pricier pine nuts and add buttery richness to the pesto.
- Spaghetti: A pound of spaghetti is the perfect canvas, but any long pasta works.
- Olive Oil and Garlic: Good olive oil and fresh garlic round out the classic pesto flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add protein: stir in grilled chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage to make it a heartier meal.
- Add veggies: toss in cherry tomatoes, peas, or spinach for color and freshness.
- Swap the nuts: use pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds in the pesto.
- Use store-bought pesto: in a pinch, a good jarred pesto works to make it even faster.
- Change the pasta: try it with penne, bowtie, or our baked ziti noodles.
How to Make Bacon Pesto Pasta
- Blend the basil, Parmesan, pecans, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor, slowly streaming in the olive oil until smooth.
- Cut the bacon into one-inch pieces and fry until crispy, reserving one tablespoon of the bacon grease.
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente and reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Toss the hot pasta with the pesto, bacon grease, and a splash of pasta water until saucy, then garnish with the crispy bacon and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pack the basil. Two cups of firmly packed basil gives the pesto its bold, fresh flavor.
- Toast the pecans. Toasting the pecans before blending deepens their buttery, nutty flavor.
- Save the pasta water. That starchy water is the secret to a silky, clingy pesto sauce.
- Reserve the bacon grease. A spoonful of bacon grease adds incredible smoky depth, so do not skip it.
- Toss while hot. Adding the pesto to hot pasta helps it melt and coat every strand.
- Do not overheat the pesto. Keep the heat off the pesto so the basil stays bright green and fresh.
- Garnish generously. Pile the crispy bacon and extra Parmesan on top right before serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This bacon pesto pasta is a complete meal on its own, but it shines next to a crisp green salad and a basket of warm garlic bread for dipping. It also makes a great side for grilled chicken or a pan of our chicken alfredo bake at a pasta-night dinner.
For a bigger Italian spread, serve it alongside our baked ziti and homemade lasagna so everyone can fill their plate. A glass of white wine and extra grated Parmesan on the table never hurt.
Leftovers are delicious cold or gently reheated for lunch the next day. However you serve it, the smoky bacon and fresh basil pesto make this pasta disappear fast.
Bacon Pesto Pasta FAQs
Yes. A good jarred basil pesto works in a pinch and makes the Bacon Pesto Pasta even faster. Homemade pesto with toasted pecans gives the freshest, boldest flavor if you have time.
Spaghetti is classic, but any long pasta like linguine or fettuccine works well. Short shapes like penne or bowtie also hold the pesto nicely for Bacon Pesto Pasta.
The pesto can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerated. For the best texture, cook the pasta and fry the bacon fresh, then toss the Bacon Pesto Pasta together just before serving.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pesto and store it in the fridge, or add a thin layer of olive oil on top. Tossing it with hot pasta right away also keeps the Bacon Pesto Pasta bright green.
Absolutely. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage all make great additions to Bacon Pesto Pasta. Just cook the protein separately and toss it in with the pasta and pesto.
Pine nuts are traditional, but walnuts, almonds, or even sunflower seeds all work in the pesto for Bacon Pesto Pasta. Toasting whichever nut you use deepens the flavor.
Keep the easy pasta streak alive with a bubbling baked tortellini with Italian sausage.
Toss this pasta concept seafood style with our creamy lemon shrimp over angel hair.
Love bacon in your pasta? Our cold broccoli pasta salad takes it to the cookout.
Craving a classic red sauce instead? Try our fresh tomato basil sauce.
Bacon Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Pesto Sauce:
- 2 cups fresh basil packed
- ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
Bacon Pesto Pasta:
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Place the basil, parmesan, pecans, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse while slowly adding in the olive oil until smooth. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.2 cups fresh basil, ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese freshly grated, ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅓ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
- Cut the bacon into 1-inch slices, fry until crispy in a medium-sized skillet. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Drain the remaining bacon onto a paper towel and set aside.8 slices thick-cut bacon
- Cook the pasta to al dente and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.1 pound spaghetti noodles
- Add the pasta to a large bowl. Add in the pesto, reserved bacon grease, and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid, toss to coat the noodles. If it seems dry, add a little more of the pasta water until saucy.
- Garnish with the crispy bacon. Serve as is or with your favorite salad and bread, enjoy!
Notes
- You can use homemade pesto or jarred.
- This recipe can easily be doubled.
- Add some different meats to switch it up, see above for suggestions.
- Make sure your cheese is freshly grated.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Add ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes for a little spicy kick.
- We like to use pecans in our pesto because we always have them on hand and it is a cheaper alternative to traditional pine nuts.
- You can use other pasta, see above for suggestions.
Nutrition
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Serve this easy bacon pesto pasta with a side of our baked ziti for the ultimate Italian comfort food dinner.
