Bacon and Asparagus Pasta Recipe

Garlicky bacon and asparagus pasta with mezzi rigatoni and fresh parsley.

Bacon and Asparagus Pasta Recipe

This quick and easy smoky bacon and asparagus pasta recipe packs a massive amount of flavour into a dish with so few ingredients and such a short cooking time... you'll love it!

Course Main Course

Cuisine European

Keyword asparagus pasta, bacon and asparagus pasta

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings Servings

Calories 753kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

200 g Dried Pasta 7oz (I usually use mezzi rigatoni or regular rigatoni)
100 g Smoked Bacon Lardons 3½oz (finely chopped)
150 g Thin Asparagus 12-15 Spears
4 Garlic Cloves
50 g Parmesan Cheese ½ Cup
75 ml White Wine ⅓ Cup
4 Anchovy Fillets
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Salt (for boiling pasta)

Instructions

Bring a 20cm or 8" saucepan of water to a boil over a high heat and season with 1-1½ teaspoon of water.
Whilst the water is boiling, snap the woody end from the asparagus, cut off the tips and then cut the stems into 1-1.5cm (½") lengths.
Peel the garlic cloves and dice them as finely as you can.
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan (not nonstick if possible) over a medium heat.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (10-14 minutes, depending on the pasta).
As soon as the paste goes into the pot, add the olive oil and bacon to the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes or until it begins to colour and go golden. Stir this every couple of minutes.
Add the garlic and anchovy fillets and cook for another 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Turn the heat up to high, and when the pan begins to sizzle louder, add the asparagus and black pepper, then cook for another minute.
Pour in the white wine and reduce to a couple of tablespoons, which will take around 60-90 seconds.
Your pasta should now be cooked, drain it and reserve around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the cooking water.
Add the pasta to the frying pan with the asparagus and add the parmesan cheese, pour in as much water as is needed to form a nice coating.

Video

Nutrition