Quick and Easy Brie and Bacon Pasta
Brie cheese, crispy bacon bits, sage and dry Vermouth combine to create a superb, rich sauce in this quick, easy and delicious pasta recipe.
This dish will take about 5 minutes to prepare, and cooking it takes around 20 minutes, making it an ideal midweek meal.
Cheesy Bacon Pasta
Pasta does so much heavy lifting in many kitchens when you want a quick and hearty dinner. Our kicthen is no different!
I've got countless, ok, I could count them, but... let's say loads of quick pasta dishes.
They range from garlic pesto prawn pasta to miso butter pasta and cream cheese pasta and chorizo and bacon pasta.
My latest addition is a fantastic brie cheese and bacon pasta; it's simple, quick to cook and delicious!
The brie and bacon work beautifully with the addition of sage and dry Vermouth.
Aside from a little garlic, salt and pepper, that is all you need, and the dish delivers way more flavour than you would expect from so few ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to remove the rind from the Brie?
Yes, the rind will not melt into the sauce and it will become a bit of a clumpy mess.
If you pop the cheese into the freezer when you start preparing ingredients it should firm up a little making cutting the rind off a little easier.
Do I have to use Vermouth?
No, white wine and sherry are both very good substitutions in this recipe.
If you do not want to cook with alcohol, add around 75ml (1⁄3cup) of stock and a splash of a vinegar of your choice. White wine, sherry and cider vinegars are all good choices.
Can I use dried sage?
Yes, add between ½ and 1 teaspoon of dried sage (depending on how old your dried sage is).
Can I use different pasta?
Yes, this is a pretty versatile sauce and it works well with most types of pasta.
If you are using larger bacon lardons consider a broader open pasta like tagliatelle or paradelle. If you are using small bacon bits like me, then it is great with fusilli or even farfalle.
Serving Suggestions
Like most of my pasta recipes, this brie and bacon pasta dish is a simple "TV" dinner, and I rarely serve it as part of a grand spread or with a side dish.
The only regular addition I make are some slices of garlic baguette.
Although I am rather fond of batch-making this soft potato focaccia from my friend Rosemary.
It freezes wonderfully and can be reheated in either the oven or air fryer.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that 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.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Colander
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Brie and Bacon Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g Brie 5oz
- 1 Medium-Large Echalion or Banana Shallot 50g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 6 Large Sage Leaves
- 125 g Bacon Lardons 4oz (cut into very small pieces)
- 125 ml Dry Vermouth ½ Cup
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt (plus extra to cook the pasta)
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 200 g Dry Pasta 7oz (I use rigatoni)
Instructions
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it, then cut it into very thin "half moon" shapes.
- If your lardons are large, give them a chop with the knife; you want small bacon bits.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the oil, followed by the bacon bits and the shallots, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Remove the tougher end of the stalks from the sage leaves and shred them as finely as you can.
- Peel and finely dice the garlic cloves.
- Remove the rind from the brie cheese (discard it) and cut the cheese into 1cm (just under ½") pieces.
- After the bacon and shallots have had 5 minutes, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- Cook the shallots for another 5 minutes after the pasta has gone into the pot to cook. Then add the garlic, sage leaves, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the Vermouth and cook for 2 minutes or until it has reduced by half.
- Add the brie cheese, reduce the heat to low and cook until the pasta is ready, stirring until it has melted.
- Drain the pasta, reserving around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce, stir to coat, adding as much of the cooking liquid as required to get a smooth and silky sauce.
