Bacon Pesto Pasta (Gets dinner on the table!)

Bacon Pesto Pasta is an easy pasta recipe that is perfect any night of the week! Whether you use homemade pesto or store bought this simple bacon pasta tastes delicious and is a little different to spagh bowl! 

Pesto recipes like our Basil and Cashew Pesto or Rocket and Cashew Pesto are perfect for stirring through pasta creating a tasty alternative to tomato spaghetti sauce. 

Pesto and pasta are an easy pairing and compliment each other!

Rocket Pesto Pasta, Pesto Penne and Creamy Mushroom Tagliatelle make weeknight cooking a breeze dishing up a delicious vegetarian pasta dinner recipes. If you love bacon, you will also love the Bacon Spaghetti recipe.

Pesto stores very well in the fridge, so can be grabbed quickly for a no fuss dinner

For everything you need to know about homemade pesto, check out my How to Make Pesto Guide!

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What goes with Pesto Pasta?

There are so many ways of taking Pesto Pasta and elevating to that next level. 

The most basic combination is pesto, pasta, parmesan and cracked pepper.

For more complex options you can try adding:

• bacon
• mushrooms
• rocket 
• spinach 
• artichokes
• shrimp/Prawns
• chorizo
• nuts

The pesto brings great flavour to the dish and the herby, garlicky parmesan taste matches so well with a variety of simple additions. 

Optional extras for this dish are spinach, rocket, cooked pumpkin pieces or mushrooms! 

How much pesto do you put in pasta?

You need a good few spoons of pesto for your pasta. 

For a recipe that serves 4 people, I like to use 1 cup of pesto. 

My pesto recipes on the blog each make one cup of pesto, but if you want to use store bought pesto, then keep about 2-3 tablespoons per person in mind as how much you will need. 

Bacon Pesto Pasta ingredients

We use simple, easy to find ingredients for this recipe. The photo below shows you what you need:

As you can see, we have:

• pasta (use your favourite)
• pesto (any flavour works)
• bacon
• parmesan cheese
• pepper

I've used fresh, homemade rocket pesto for this recipe. But it will work for any pesto you like! 

Green Pesto Pasta recipe

This green pesto pasta recipe already brings greens to the plate with the herbs in the pesto. 

If we start adding additional ingredients to this pasta, it will increase the prep and cook time. 

When you want dinner in a hurry, our goal is to minimise both of them. 

You can check out how to make pesto and some flavour and pasta combinations in the pesto recipes collection.

How to make Bacon Pasta with Pesto

The photos below are the 4 steps needed for this recipe. They are each very easy! 

1. Fry off the bacon for a couple of mins to cook (Photo 1)
2. Cook pasta, drain and add to cooked bacon (Photo 2)
3. Stir bacon and pasta together to combine(Photo 3)
4. Add pesto to bacon and pasta and stir to combine(Photo 4)

I use pre-diced bacon as it makes the prep time on this pasta minimal! Perfect for quick, after dinner nights! 

If you want to purchase bacon rashers and diced them (finely cut) yourself, that is fine too. This meal is all about fast meal prep and getting dinner on the table quickly and easily.

Basil Pesto Pasta recipe quick info:

About the recipe:

• we only need 5 ingredients for this recipe! 
• homemade or store bought pesto is fine! 
• use your favourite type of pasta
• parmesan cheese adds texture and flavour

FAQs about Pesto Pasta with Bacon

1. we cook the bacon and the pasta separately and then combine
2. this is a green pesto pasta recipe
3. I use curly pasta
4. you need approx 2 tbs pesto per person
5. 1 cup of pesto is needed to serve 4

Your quick questions answered:

1. This is a quick and easy recipe
2. This recipe is FREEZER FRIENDLY
3. This is an EASY recipe

Expert tips:

These tips are to help you master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:

• make your pesto in advance and store in the fridge for quick meal prep (homemade pesto)
• pre diced bacon will cook in 3 -4 mins on the stove
• no oil is needed to cook the bacon 
• cook the pasta at the same time as the bacon to save total cook time

For a vegetarian pasta that is quick and easy like this recipe try the Artichoke Spaghetti!

The pesto is a great change to a traditional Italian pasta sauce! 

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You can add a little bit of cream to make it a creamy bacon pesto pasta! 

Easy Pasta recipes 

For no fuss dinner ideas, try the following recipes:

1. Artichoke Spaghetti
2. Instant Pot Penne Pasta
3. Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese
4. Ground Beef Casserole
5. Tuna Pasta Bake
6. Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
7. Rocket Pesto Pasta
8. Creamy Mushroom Tagliatelle

For something different, make an olive tapenade and stir that through cooked pasta for a quick meal! 

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Pesto Pasta ideas

Alright my friends, it is official, this recipe has to be the easiest, fuss free dinner recipe on the blog! 

I know you want quick meals. I know you want easy meals. Let's make them fuss free dinners. 

I'm not going to be offended if you make the recipe and use store bought pesto, cause you know what, sometimes I do that too! 

You've got the whole bacon, cheesy, delicious thing going on with this recipe and pasta with bacon and cheese is going to be your new best friend. 

Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below. 

Adrianne xx

RELATED RECIPES:

Rocket Pesto Pasta Smoked Salmon Spaghetti Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bologense

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