Creamy Bacon Penne Pasta

A rich and glossy Italian-inspired pasta featuring savory bacon, penne, and a velvety cream sauce finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh parsley.

Ingredients

• 200 g penne pasta
• 100 g bacon
• 1/2 onion
• 1 piece butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150 ml milk
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• to taste black pepper
• to taste salt
• optional parsley

Instructions

1. 1Slice the bacon

   

   Place the bacon strips on a wooden cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. Uniform pieces ensure even rendering and cooking in the pan later.

   Tip: Keep your fingers curled inward (the claw grip) while slicing to protect your fingertips.
2. 2Slice Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

   

   Take a block of authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Italy and use a sharp knife to cut thin slices or wedges on a wooden cutting board. This high-quality cheese will melt into the sauce later to add rich umami flavor.

   Tip: Slice or chop the cheese finely so it melts smoothly into the cream sauce without clumping.
3. 3Boil the penne pasta

   

   Drop penne pasta into a pot of rapidly boiling water. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta pieces from sticking together while they cook.

   Tip: Cook the pasta slightly under al dente since it will finish cooking later in the cream sauce.
4. 4Add olive oil to pasta water

   

   Pour a small amount of olive oil directly into the pot of boiling water with the penne pasta. This helps prevent the pasta from sticking together as it boils.

   Tip: A splash of quality olive oil also infuses a subtle flavor into the pasta dough.
5. 5Season the boiling water

   

   Grind black pepper and shake salt from a seasoning mill into the boiling pot of pasta water. Seasoning the water properly ensures the pasta absorbs flavor as it cooks.

   Tip: Salting the water well is essential because it is your only chance to season the interior of the pasta.
6. 6Melt butter in a pan

   

   Place a square piece of butter into the center of a heated flat frying pan. Allow the heat to melt the butter completely across the surface to form a rich base for frying.

   Tip: Keep the heat at medium to prevent the butter from burning before you add the aromatics.
7. 7Melt butter and stir-fry onion and bacon

   

   Heat a frying pan, add a piece of butter, and let it melt completely. Then add the chopped onion and bacon, and stir-fry them together.

   Tip: Make sure the butter is fully melted and bubbling slightly before adding the onion and bacon.
8. 8Stir-fry pasta with bacon and onions

   

   Add the boiled penne pasta into the frying pan along with the stir-fried bacon and chopped onions, and mix everything together evenly over heat.

   Tip: Make sure the pasta is well combined with the rendered bacon fat to absorb the flavors.
9. 9Pour in milk and heavy cream

   

   Pour both milk and heavy cream directly into the pan containing the pasta, bacon, and onion mixture.

   Tip: Adding heavy cream alongside milk creates a rich sauce consistency without becoming overly heavy.
10. 10Incorporate egg yolk

    

    Separate an egg yolk and gradually mix it into the cooking sauce and pasta mixture, stirring continuously.

    Tip: Stir well while adding the egg yolk to prevent scrambling and to give the sauce a glossy texture.
11. 11Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

    

    Sprinkle freshly chopped or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into the pan while continuing to stir the pasta and sauce.

    Tip: Grated cheese melts seamlessly into the cream sauce, enhancing the savory flavor profile.
12. 12Season with garlic salt

    

    Sprinkle garlic salt evenly over the creamy pasta mixture in the pan and stir-fry everything together until well incorporated.

    Tip: Taste the sauce before adding salt to balance the saltiness from the bacon and cheese.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions