Bacon and Asparagus Pasta with White Wine and Garlic

Bacon and asparagus pasta is an easy dinner loaded with garlic in a simple white wine reduction that is given an umami boost from anchovies.

It's also a wonderfully quick meal, clocking in at a rapid 20 minutes, and you will not believe how much flavour so few ingredients can deliver.

Simple Asparagus Pasta

I love this simple and quick smoked bacon asparagus pasta recipe, it takes just 20 minutes to cook and is packed full of flavour.

The asparagus season is torturously short, and whilst it is available all year round, fresh in-season local asparagus is really special.

It might not be considered to be a "trad" ingredient to pair with pasta, but I think it works wonderfully.

I have a vegetarian pea and asparagus pasta and a delicious tomato, asparagus and wild garlic pasta soup too.

You could even adapt my blue cheese and asparagus gnocchi and turn it into a delicious pasta dish.

This dish fries bacon until it is golden and renders out the fat, and then cooks the asparagus in that fat, all great so far!

Then a load of garlic is added, a few anchovies and then a whack of white wine to provide the base flavour for the coating.

Finally, you throw in a load of parmesan cheese with the pasta and bosh... dinner is served.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pasta should I use?

I've served this dish with mezzi rigatoni in these pictures, but regular rigatoni would work well, as would penne.

You could also use something like farfalle and even orecchiette.

What white wine should I use?

So long as it is dry and drinkable, you should be good to go. I would typically use a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Do I have to use smoked bacon?

No, but I think it adds a boatload of flavour to this recipe.

Do I have to use the anchovies?

Again, just like the smoked bacon, the answer is no, but please give them a shot!

I use them all of the time in sauces and stews; they melt into the sauce and give it a beautiful, round umami taste. It is very different to a few of them laid over a Caesar salad or dropped onto a pizza.

Serving Suggestions

Like most pasta dishes, I like to keep my sides for this garlicky bacon pasta recipe really simple.

It usually stretches to a bit of garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread, depending on how I feel.

If I were to scale up this recipe to cook it for more than two, then I would consider something like this pull-apart garlic bread. Yes, there is a theme to those suggestions, teehee!

If you are in the market for a salad, then I would go for a simple green salad.

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan (not nonstick if possible).
• 20cm or 8" saucepan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Sieve or colander.
• Stirring spoons.