Bacon Tomato Pasta

Bacon tomato pasta is an ideal quick dinner for a busy weeknight. Prepared in 15 minutes, it includes bacon and onion in a hearty tomato sauce.

Course Main

Cuisine International

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 564kcal

Heat olive oil, then fry bacon over medium heat until it is well-browned and starts to crisp at the edges, typically around 3 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 360 g smoked bacon
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the package directions.
350 g spaghetti
Then add the onion to the bacon and continue to fry until it becomes soft.
1 brown onion
Add the garlic and fry for a further 30 seconds.
3 garlic cloves
Add the passata, ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (scoop 1 cup of the pasta water from the boiling pasta pot) and the stock cubes.
400 g passata, 2 beef stock cubes
Stir well and simmer for 2 minutes.
When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and add it to the sauce in the frypan.
Mix to emulsify the pasta with the sauce over gentle heat until the pasta is coated in sauce, adding extra pasta water if needed.
Taste, and add salt if required.
salt to taste
Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese on top (optional).
grated fresh parmesan cheese

Passata is a puree of tomatoes that has been strained to remove the seeds and skins. It is not the same as tomato paste, which is a concentrate.
The key to maximum flavour in this dish is to brown the bacon really well.
Don't add extra salt until the end - it will depend on how salty the bacon is and the amount of salt in the stock cubes as to whether it's needed.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*