One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta

This One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta comes together in less than 20 minutes. It’s a great easy recipe to keep in your file. I’m always looking for One-Pot dinners and this recipe is full of flavor and so easy!

ONE-POT BACON BROCCOLI PASTA

I’ve found there are two types of people in this world. Those who like their bacon so well done it’s on the border of being burnt and those who like it walked through a warm room.

I remember the first time I made breakfast for my in-laws I burnt the bacon and I was horrified. They, on the other hand, were fighting over the burnt pieces.

I definitely don’t like my bacon burnt but I do appreciate it cooked all the way through.

My problem with most pastas with bacon is that they let the bacon cook in the sauce. While that does give that bacon flavor all throughout it basically is boiled bacon which…ew…yuck.

The key to making this One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta successfully is that we cook the bacon, drain it, then cook the rest of the dish in the same pan. So we get a little of that bacon flavor without soggy bacon.

I came up with this pasta for my family. I made it a thousand different ways until we decided this was the best version. One-pot meals will always have my heart.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT PASTA IN THIS RECIPE?

Sure. You can use any small shaped pasta such as penne or farfalle pasta.

CAN I ADD CHICKEN TO THIS RECIPE?

You can add rotisserie chicken or cook cubed chicken after you’ve cooked the bacon.

CAN I LIGHTEN UP THIS RECIPE?

This recipe is already healthier than most creamy pastas since we are replacing part of the cream with chicken broth. You could use half and half instead of cream to lighten it up even more.

OTHER ONE-PAN RECIPES:

• • One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
  • One-Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice
  • Easy Monterey Chicken Pasta
  • One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice
  • One-Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
  • Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
  • One-Pan Chicken and Spinach Orzo
  • One-Pan Chicken Tortilla Bake

One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta

4.44 from 67 votes

This One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta comes together in less than 20 minutes. It's a great easy Italian recipe to keep in your file. 

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 strips of bacon, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry rigatoni pasta, (or other small shape like penne)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, (and pepper to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, (more for sprinkling on top)

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan, pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Drain fat from the pot leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. 
• Add the garlic and sautee for about 30 seconds. Add the uncooked pasta, cream, chicken broth, salt (and pepper), and crushed red pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes making sure to stir once in a while and keep noodles covered in liquid.
• Add the broccoli to the pot and cook another 5-7 minutes or until the broccoli is soft. Continue cooking until sauce is a little thicker. It will be thin and then thicken towards the end. Stir in the Parmesan and reserved bacon.  
• Serve immediately and top with additional Parmesan.

Notes

The Girl Who Ate Everything Original

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Main Course

Author: Christy Denney

Christy Denney

Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!

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