This Bacon Broccoli Pasta Recipe is so easy and creamy and comes together in less than 30 minutes!
Penne Pasta with Bacon and Broccoli
I was heavily influenced by the tastebuds of my 7-year-old when I made this pasta the other night. As you may guess, a few of his favorite things include bacon, broccoli, and creamy pasta. I love these things too, but, you know what I love even more? Dinners that are quick and easy. Bonus points if the leftovers can be sent with him to school the next day.
This delicious bacon broccoli pasta gets all the bonus points.
And my child loved it so much he ate every last little onion left on his plate.
Spoiler alert: he does not usually like onions.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure that you’ll also love this easy weeknight dinner, too. It’s perfect creamy comfort food but isn’t so overwhelming that you feel sick after you’re done eating.
Before getting started, remember these important tips and notes:
- Feel free to cook your bacon and broccoli however you’d like. The instructions below are simply how I did it for this particular recipe.
- Bacon can be replaced with something else like chicken or shrimp. Yes, bacon is great, but if it isn’t for you then don’t add it.
- The same can be said for broccoli. I mean, I love it when broccoli florets soak up any kind of cream sauce, but if you don’t care for broccoli, try another veggie – like peas!
- Don’t forget to generously salt the pot of water that you will use to blanch your broccoli and cook your pasta.
- Also, don’t forget to reserve at least 1-2 cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta. It’s salty, it’s starchy, you can’t get it back once it’s down the sink.
Is Bacon Broccoli Pasta Good Leftover?
Yes. My family and I enjoyed this creamy pasta for two days after I initially cooked it. Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container until ready to reheat.
Since the pasta will absorb most of the liquid that remains as it cools, you may want to add a splash of chicken broth and half-and-half (or milk) to the pasta before reheating. Mid-way through reheating (in the microwave) mix to combine and continue cooking until heated through.
I hope you LOVE this easy bacon broccoli pasta recipe! It’s:
Creamy
Comforting
Rich
Bacon-y
Luscious
Cheesy
& so delicious!
Perfect any time of the year, I especially love serving this pasta with a small green salad or fruit salad.
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Try these reader favorites:
- Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Easy Pasta Primavera Recipe
- Penne Arrabbiata Recipe
- One-Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe
Have you tried making this Creamy Bacon Broccoli Pasta Recipe?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.
RECIPE CARD
Bacon Broccoli Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon - chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 pound dry penne pasta - or another small pasta shape
- 2 cup reserved pasta water
- ½ medium onion - minced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese - plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually add at least 1 tablespoon of salt).
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium to medium-high heat until cooked, crispy, and fat is rendered. Remove bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the rendered fat from the pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
- Once the pot of water is boiling, add the broccoli florets and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pot using a slotted spoon and rinse the broccoli with cold water to stop it from cooking any further. Do not drain the water from the pot!
- Return the pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the dry pasta and cook 1-2 minutes less than al dente (about 6 minutes). Just before draining, reserve 1-2 cups of boiling pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta in a large colander.
- Return the saucepan with the reserved bacon fat to the stovetop and set it over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are softened (about 4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds more
- Melt the butter with the cooking onions and garlic. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle the onions with the all-purpose flour and mix well to combine.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth until combined with the butter and flour. Then pour in the half-and-half. Mix well to combine, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the blanched broccoli, cooked bacon, and cooked penne to the pan. Carefully combine with the cream sauce, then sprinkle with the shredded parmesan cheese.
- Return to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until everything is heated through. Add additional pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.
- Serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.
Jessica's Notes
- For a heavier, creamier pasta, use heavy cream in place of the half-and-half and add up to 2 cups, if desired.
- Not a fan of bacon? Skip it. Just replace the reserved bacon grease with butter.
- Not a fan of broccoli? Replace it with frozen peas or halved cherry tomatoes.
- The onion is optional, leave it out if you'd like.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
This was very good and I will definitely make it again! All said and done, it seemed like a dish worthy of a restaurant.
I did have to make some changes because we are a grain free household. Here’s the changes I made: For two of us, I halved the recipe and used grain free penne pasta. I added homemade seasoned salt to the sauce and did not use any flour in the sauce. Instead, I subbed 1oz. cream cheese (for 1/2 the recipe), just a splash of half-and-half, and a slurry of tapioca starch. Otherwise, I kept the ingredients in the recipe the same including the pasta water, but added more chicken broth and parm cheese as needed to get the perfect sauce consistency (considering I omitted the flour). I did not blanch the broccoli, instead roasted it on convection along with bacon (still reserving the bacon drippings for the sauce), and added both to the dish at the very end w/ some additional seasoned salt and finished each plate with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of parm cheese on top. I was thinking about making this dish all day, and it did not disappoint!
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Bacon Pea Pasta recipe and love how you adapted it to fit your preferences! Using cream cheese, half-and-half, and tapioca starch sounds like an excellent way to get that creamy sauce without flour. Adding homemade seasoned salt and finishing with roasted veggies and fresh pepper sounds absolutely delicious. I appreciate you sharing your thoughtful modifications—so happy it lived up to your expectations!
It was delicious!! The whole house plus our kids friends cleared their plates!
Thanks for the delicious feedback and rating, Susan 😀
Absolutely loved this. The only reason for not giving a 5 star rating, is because it take much longer to make ad I don’t have a prep cook..lol. I did add mushrooms and fresh spinach and it was FANTASTIC!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!😊
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Tamara 🙂
This pasta broccoli pasta is full of flavour budget friendly snd was loved by everyone that gas eaten it. Has become a staple meal. Thank you gor this great recipe
Thanks for the feedback, Jenny 😀
This has quickly become a family hit. I am often asked to male this for dinner. Thanks for the recipe! P.S. I personally do not use the flour, and it turns out absolutely lovely. Just FYI for people who may want/need to omit. Thanks again!
Thank you for the great feedback and rating, Jessica 😀
How long do you think I have to throw it in the pasta water?
Hi Aimee,
See steps 3 and 4 in the recipe card at the bottom of the post:
”
3. Once the pot of water is boiling, add the broccoli florets and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pot using a slotted spoon and rinse the broccoli with cold water to stop it from cooking any further. Do not drain the water from the pot!
4. Return the pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the dry pasta and cook 1-2 minutes less than al dente (about 6 minutes). Just before draining, reserve 1-2 cups of boiling pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta in a large colander.
”
🙂
Can I use frozen broccoli too? And cook it the same way? Or do I use fresh?
Thank you so much for your help and time!!
Aimee
Fresh Broccoli would be best for this recipe Aimee. Frozen could work depending on the size of the florets, but I think fresh would taster better.
Made this tonight for my daughter and her family. It was a big hit. Everyone went back for seconds, except for my grandson who went back for thirds. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks for the great feedback and rating Joyce 🙂
Very good. Made 1/2 for the two of us. Followed the recipe buI used 2% milk and still had to thin it a bit with pasta water. Could use a little spice though.
What is half and half I can’t find a description?
Half and half milk in the USA is a mixture of half milk and half cream. It has 10-12% milk fat and cannot be whipped 🙂
also knowen as coffee creamer or 10%
my family loves broccoli, bacon, and pasta. so this was the perfect recipe!