Get dinner on the table within 30 minutes with this easy penne pasta recipe which includes bacon and a creamy alfredo sauce.
Penna Pasta + Peppers & Bacon
Let’s face it, whoever said bacon ain’t just about the best thing ever is a lie! In the Worthey house, bacon is king, and we all bow down to its greatness. For this quick and easy recipe, I combined penne pasta, grilled red bell peppers, Alfredo sauce, and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Then tossed it all together and topped it all with crisp thick-cut bacon. It’s a quick and delicious meal that sure to please.
From start to finish this easy and delicious meal is done and on the dinner table in more or less in 30 minutes. And if your family is human they will love it; you will fall head of heels over it, and leftovers? Probably not.
The key to this simple dinner meal is timing.
How to cook bacon in the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Put aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and layout ten strips of thick-cut bacon.
Place parchment paper over the bacon and then lovingly place the bacon onto the middle rack of the oven and pray the smell of the cooking bacon takes it easy on your mortal soul.
Because cooking bacon is a kind of culinary aphrodisiac, how it gets into your veins, into your heart and head, it messes with you something fierce.
The bacon will cook in 15-20 minutes.
Place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra grease or pour the bacon grease into a Mason jar and seal it up, it comes in handy with things like frying eggs, making pancakes (gasp!) or making redskin skillet potatoes.
As soon as the bacon is in the oven try to forget about it and fill a stock pot with tepid water and place it on the stovetop over high heat. Tepid water will come to a boil quicker than a pot filled with cold water.
Next, when the water begins to boil add a pinch of sea salt and stir in the penne pasta and follow the cooking instructions on the package. Typically, penne pasta cooks around the 12-minute range.
How to make creamy alfredo sauce
As soon as the pasta is in the water and on its way, place a skillet over med-high heat and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot add one medium diced onion and one clove of minced garlic (add more garlic if vampires are amok because you never know, right?), sauté until the onions are opaque then add one-half cup of a red bell pepper cut into small cubes. Cook the mixture for three additional minutes then add one jar of your favorite Alfredo sauce, one can of cream of mushroom soup, and a cup of heavy cream or whole milk. Stir the mixture until smooth, add freshly cracked black peppercorns. Give it a taste and do a lil’ shimmy! You have just learned how to make the quickest and most delectable kinda sorta homemade all-purpose sauce ever!
Finish the sauce by adding two tablespoons of sweet cream butter.
How to make an easy pasta dish using penne + bacon
Ingredients:
- 10 strips of thick-cut bacon
- 1 package penne pasta
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted sweet cream butter
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prep the onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and grate the cheese.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, place the bacon in a single row then cover with parchment paper.
- Place the cookie on the center rack of the oven and set a timer for 15-20 minutes.
- Fill a stock pot with tepid or hot water then place the pot over med-high heat and add a pinch of sea salt.
- When the water begins to boil add the penne pasta and give it a couple of stirs. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, about 12 minutes.
- Place a skillet over med-high heat and add a single tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, when the oil is hot add the minced onion and garlic and sauté until the onion become translucent, add the red bell peppers and cook for an additional three minutes.
- Add the Alfredo sauce, cream of mushroom of soup, and heavy cream (or whole, 2%, or skim milk), stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Finish with two tablespoons of unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Take the bacon out of the oven and place the strips on a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess grease. Set the bacon aside for later.
- Remove the pasta from the stove top and drain using a colander, shake off any excess water and little by little add the pasta to the sauce mixture. Continue to stir in the pasta until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Spoon the pasta into serving bowls or plates and top with bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese.
- Serve.
Spoon pasta into serving bowls or heap onto plates, then top with lots of crispy golden brown thick-cut bacon. Dust with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese or whatever your favorite Italian cheese preference. And if you want to add a bit of green add some chopped parsley or steamed broccoli florets.
And we’re done! Finito! It’s time to eat! And if your family is like our family time is of the essence and more importantly, less time cooking means more time eating.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 10 strips of thick-cut bacon
- 1 package penne pasta
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted sweet cream butter
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prep the onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and grate the cheese.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, place the bacon in a single row then cover with parchment paper.
- Place the cookie on the center rack of the oven and set a timer for 15-20 minutes.
- Fill a stock pot with tepid or hot water then place the pot over med-high heat and add a pinch of sea salt. When the water begins to boil add the penne pasta and give it a couple of stirs. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, about 12 minutes.
- Place a skillet over med-high heat and add a single tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, when the oil is hot add the minced onion and garlic and sauté until the onion become translucent, add the red bell peppers and cook for an additional three minutes.
- Add the Alfredo sauce, cream of mushroom of soup, and heavy cream (or whole, 2%, or skim milk), stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Finish with two tablespoons of unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Take the bacon out of the oven and place the strips on a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess grease. Set the bacon aside for later.
- Remove the pasta from the stove top and drain using a colander, shake off any excess water and little by little add the pasta to the sauce mixture.
- Continue to stir in the pasta until the pasta is evenly coated. Spoon the pasta into serving bowls or plates and top with bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese.
- Serve.
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