Ever since I discovered how delicious pasta is when cooked in broth instead of water, I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of different ways to play up this simple trick. By simply changing up the add-ins, you can have an endless number of quick one pot or one skillet dinners for busy week nights. This Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan is my latest quick skillet obsession.
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Bacon, spinach, and Parmesan are not exactly the least expensive ingredients on the planet, so you do have to be a bit careful with this one. I used a half package of bacon and froze the rest for later use. To save on spinach, I skipped the salad sized bags and got a jumbo bag of “cooking spinach”. The big one pound bag was only 20 cents more expensive than the smaller salad sized (9oz.) bags and almost twice as big. I’ll enjoy the extra spinach as salads and freeze some in smoothie packs.
Can I Use Frozen Spinach or Other Greens?
Frozen spinach can be used in a pinch, but make sure not to get “chopped” frozen spinach because it will be in a million tiny little pieces. You can use other greens, like collards, mustard, or kale, but because they’re quite a bit more sturdy, they’ll need to be sautéed down with the onion in the beginning. Parmesan really does top off this dish and make it grand, but you can lighten up on it if you’re strapped for cash. Parmesan is very flavorful, so a little goes a long way.
What Else Can I Add?
If you want to beef up this dish a bit, you can add a rinsed and drained can of white beans, or sauté some mushrooms with the onions. A few red pepper flakes would be nice in here, too, although I like red pepper flakes on just about anything!
Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan
Servings 4Ingredients
- 6 oz. bacon ($2.15)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.28)
- 1/2 lb. pasta ($0.50)
- 1/4 lb. fresh spinach (about 4 cups) ($1.50)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan ($0.55)
Instructions
- Cut the bacon across the strips into one-inch pieces. Sauté the bacon in a large skillet until it is brown and crispy (no extra fat needed). Remove the browned bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Carefully pour the fat off into a separate bowl, leaving about one tablespoon in the skillet.
- While the bacon cooks, dice the onion. Once the bacon is removed and the fat is drained from the skillet, add the diced onions and sauté until they are soft and transparent. Allow the moisture from the onions to dissolve some of the browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet.
- Add two cups of chicken broth to the skillet and dissolve off any remaining browned bits of bacon drippings from the bottom of the skillet.
- Finally, add the uncooked pasta to the skillet, place a lid on top, and let the skillet come to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, give it a quick stir, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for 10 minutes with the lid in place. Give the skillet a stir to loosen the pasta from the bottom every few minutes or so, replacing the lid quickly each time. After 10 minutes the pasta should be tender and most of the broth absorbed. There should be a little bit of thick, saucy broth remaining in the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir until it has wilted into the pasta. Turn off the heat, add the cooked bacon back to the skillet, sprinkle the Parmesan over top, stir to combine, and then serve.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Bacon and Spinach Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Cut 6 oz. (1/2 of a 12oz. package) of bacon into one-inch strips. The second half will be frozen and used later. I love adding a little bacon to soups and other dishes because it adds a LOT of flavor. Or who knows, maybe I’ll just use the leftovers for an impromptu weekend brunch.
Sauté the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s brown and crispy. I didn’t add any extra oil to the skillet because the bacon is fatty enough that it releases quite a bit of grease and does not stick. Once the bacon is crispy, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon, and pour off the fat into a separate container, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet (for flavor, of course!). When the poured off fat is cool, save it in the refrigerator to add flavor to other dishes, or if you’re not the bacon grease type of person, scoop it into the garbage. Just DO NOT rinse it down your drain.
While the bacon is cooking, dice one small onion. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until it is soft and transparent. The juices from the onion will begin to dissolve the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add two cups of chicken broth to the skillet. Stir well to dissolve the last of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add the dry pasta to the skillet and place a lid on top (it’s OKAY if the broth doesn’t completely cover the pasta). Turn the heat up to high and let the skillet come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, give it a quick stir, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Every few minutes, give the skillet a quick stir to loosen the pasta from the bottom and replace the lid quickly each time so that the broth continues to simmer. Make sure the broth continues to simmer the entire time, turning the heat up just slightly if needed to maintain a simmer.
After about 15 minutes, the pasta should be tender and most of the broth absorbed. There should be a bit of saucy broth left in the bottom of the skillet.
Once the pasta is cooked, add about 1/4 pound (or 3-4 cups) of fresh spinach to the skillet. Add a handful of the spinach at a time and stir it into the pasta until it wilts.
Turn the heat off, add the cooked bacon back to the skillet, and sprinkle the Parmesan over top. Give it a quick stir to combine and then serve!
And then it will look like this! Like I said, I probably should have sprinkled a little red pepper or even freshly cracked black pepper over the top just to take it up a notch, but honestly, it’s bacon… I was already dazzled!
BACON.
I’ve made this recipe probably 20~ times now over the years and find myself regularly coming back to it. Add some fresh chopped garlic after the onions have sautéed and a little Italian seasoning in with the broth and it turns out perfect every time. Husband and children approved!
I just made this this evening and it was the first time making it and I decided to try a new to me pasta. I picked up the Barilla red lentil spaghetti and this recipe was awesome! I definitely suggest trying it (unless of course you don’t like lentils), I’m gluten free now and this hit the spot! My wife says she could eat this once a week!
We make this weekly except I add garlic too! So simple and delicious! To change it up a bit sometimes we add a half cup of heavy cream.
Just made this and we are eating it right now! Very yummy and quick to make!
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight and it was very good! I left out the onions as I am not a fan, but the food was still delicious.
I loved the combo of bacon and spinach, but it was quite a small portion and very salty. It could use more pasta and vegetables (example: green asparagus) to help balance out the chicken broth and parmesian cheese. The spinach became quite much, so using less might’ve been a good idea anyways.
Brilliant combo of ingredients. I added mushrooms and used goat feta instead of parmesan and it gave an extra kick!
Hi yes, this recipe sucks balls. Needs more than two cups of chicken broth, and you need to stay away from angel hair or spaghetti noodles because it will royally fuck up your dinner night. Ended up eating something resembling prison food. Again, this sucks balls. Have a good day.
“Sucks balls?” Keep your less than constructive criticism vulgar remarks to yourself.
Thomas, I personally wouldn’t know what prison food tastes like, but this creator is helping people with meal ideas. Perhaps an adult can help you.
Everyone loved it! Not enough for our family, so next time I will double the recipe. And maybe add some extra veggies or sausage.
Just came to say this has been an absolute favorite in our house for 8 years. It is everything you could want in meal, delicious, easy, cheap, and made in one pot! It’s one of the few meals everyone gets excited for, even the picky 10 year old. Thanks for this great recipe!
What kind of noodles are these?
That shape is called “campanelle” or sometimes “flowers” or “bell flowers”. :)
Excellent, my husband loved it used Italian Speck ham.
I added heavy cream, 1/4 cream sherry and mushrooms. Its a great dish for its simplicity!
I love this recipe, along with how easy it is to add a little extra like some other veggies or if you want it a lil creamier then add some cream
This was very simple to make. Had really good flavor.We loved it and will be making it again. Made this like the recipe called for did not add anything.I might add a liitte more broth next time.
I added salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic while cooking to give some depth of flavor. Turned out awesome!
Do you think this will work using ham instead of bacon? Trying to find ways to use up a lot of leftover ham!!
Using ham instead of bacon should be fine! (It will just change the flavor of the dish from “bacon-y” to “hammy.” Since ham is already cooked, you won’t need to cook it quite as long as bacon, and you will likely need to add some more fat (oil or butter) to compensate since the rendered bacon fat is used to cook the vegetables. ~ Marion :)
How can this be reheated?
To quote Beth’s response to one of the older comments on this post (found by clicking “older comments” at the bottom of the page)– “This recipe is definitely best when made fresh, as the sauce will absorb into the pasta and it will be a bit drier after reheating. That wouldn’t stop ME from eating and enjoying the leftovers. I usually microwave single portions of the leftovers. I’m not sure if there’s a way to reheat the entire batch without it getting really dry.” ~ Marion :)
I’d love to know how to adjust the time for using gluten free pasta!
As gluten-free pasta cooking times can vary wildly depending on the brand and the type of flour used, it would be impossible for me to do that. Just follow the cooking time on the box. To avoid the mushy, gummy results gluten-free pasta is known for, stop the cook a few minutes before the box says, and then stir in your spinach. XOXO -Monti
Made this last night, and I’m instantly in love. Super good, and it will definitely go on frequent rotation. I may add frozen peas in the future, too.
I have made this a few times and always so good and my entire family raves about it. I have added one drained can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas and it is so good!
Made this dish tonight! It was delicious! I added cherry tomatoes,garlic, & sauteed them with my onions. Instead of noodles I used tortellini! Yum! Next time I’m going to use mushrooms!
While it didn’t taste bad, it left much to be desired for a mature adult. This seemed more like something to feed either a young child or a very picky adult. Lets face it, it was pasta with cheese and bacon on it. And a dash of spinach to add some greenery.
Not for me.
Added cherry tomatoes a can of sliced tomatoes mushrooms with onions garlic and spinach simmered simmered than added bow ties and parm Grest additions
I made this tonight and it was pretty good.
The sauce can use some more liquid and sweetness next time.
Thinking of adding some more broth or olive oil after the pasta cooked and toss in some tomatoes like some others did.
Amazing. Added cherry tomatoes and corn because I wanted more veg and more colour. This will be a weekly meal!
I’ll confess; I didn’t actually think this would be all that good—I was just looking for something NEW after a year of mostly cooking at home due to the pandemic. As it turned out, though, ALL FOUR OF US liked it! That’s incredibly rare; usually there’s at least one of us who’s merely tolerating a given meal. :-D I used cavatappi and omitted the onion (to keep my elder kid from freaking out) and added onion powder instead, but otherwise followed the recipe (which I doubled). I’d be lying if I said both kids cleaned their plates, because SPINACH, but what the heck, they ate it, liked it, and went back for seconds! Hooray!
I make this often! I had in about a 1/2 tablespoon of red chili flakes + three cloves of garlic once my onion is done cooking, before I add in chicken broth. If you like a more soup like dish in the winter time, you can also use 4 cups of chicken broth rather than 2.
Because of the chili flakes – this is called “Spicy Pasta” in my house…. my boyfriend is obsessed with it
Wow! This is a winner. I added some sun dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes too. Thanks Beth for another great recipe!
I made this for my family, using all ingredients except for the campanelle pasta, because my local grocery store didn’t have it. I used farfalle pasta instead and followed all instructions to a T. It was soooo scrumptious! They prefer it to a certain pasta dish that I make, using a recipe from a famous chef on Food Network. Quite a compliment! Thanks for posting this delicious entree. I’ll be making it regularly.
This recipe was delicious! My only suggestion would be to add some garlic to bring the dish to life! Thank you for such a delicious, and in expensive dish!
Reheating recommendation? I’m delivering this as a meal train dinner. Thank you!
This one is definitely best when made fresh, as the sauce will absorb into the pasta and it will be a bit more dry after reheating. That wouldn’t stop ME from eating and enjoying the leftovers, but I’m not sure it would be the best for something like a train dinner. I usually microwave single portions of the leftovers. I’m not sure if there’s a way to reheat the entire batch without it getting really dry.
Super easy and very delicious! This is the kind of recipe I could read once and start immediately without referring back to a million times, that’s how straight forward it is.
Also I added some random amount of garlic kind of on autopilot mode – every time I sauté onion, garlic is right after. Will certainly make again!
This looks delicious! Do you have any recommendations for what could substitute the parmesan? Most other cheeses are fine but my partner has an intolerance. (If the substitution still allowed for parmesan on MY dish, that’d be extra wonderful.)
Thank you for sharing!
You could definitely leave it out on top of his dish and add it to yours. It’s not needed to enjoy the dish completely!
This is super late, but have you tried Asiago or extra aged white cheddar with them? I find the flavors are equally strong with a similar texture to fresh parmesan, if not a little sharper. I’d try subbing another white cheese that’s a little on the harder/dryer side than standard snacking cheeses and see what they think!
Now I need to put this on the meal plan again, but with Asiago…
Lovely. Substituted garlic scapes for the onion, since I’d got them from my CSA. I had a pasta shape that took longer and more broth than the recipe calls for, but I was patient and it ended up rich and delicious.
My daughter and I loved it. We tried some Mizithra cheese on it and loved it as well. Had some roasted chicken and tossed it into the leftovers we reheated and it was fab!
Just tried this recipe tonight. So delicious!! Great quarantine food. I really enjoy the budget bytes recipes but this may be the best one ever
This is one of our very favorite recipes. I made it for the first time last year and my grandkids went crazy for it. Since I’m raising them, that’s a big win. My (then) 14-year old grandaughter took leftovers for lunch the next day (we only had leftovers because I quadrupled the recipe) and when she came home she said “my friends though I lied when I said my Grandma made this because it looks like it came from Panera”! LOL!!!!!!!
What kind of pasta is that? It looks delish!
The name of the shape is Campanelle. :)
I’ve made this twice now, the first time as recipe states, I seriously could have eaten the whole pot myself! It’s that good! Second time I doubled the recipe, yum!
It’s so good! Super easy and quick to make too. I added more cheese than what the recipe called for, will definitely make this again!
Good recipe. A little bland but I added fresh garlic in top and mixed. I will make this again and add garlic when cooking the onions and then add a few dash when mixing in the Parmesan. I also doubled the recipe to feed five people.
Delicious and so easy! I was a little nervous doing the one-pot pasta method for the first time, but it came out great. I think next time I will be sure to use a small onion since the flavor came through a little strong from my larger one, though it definitely didn’t stop us from going back for seconds! Thank you for all of your recipes, they never fail to disappoint.
My husband and I were both skeptical for different reasons, but we both ended up loving it! Next time I’ll be sure to use parmesan instead of mozzarella, but that’s all I had tonight. Also I’d like to try again with fresh spinach because I only had frozen on hand. Hubby liked it with and without red pepper flakes.
It was Soo delicious!
OK! I may have altered it alittle.. I’m really excited, though, and would like to share:
When It was complete as per your wonderful recipe, I simply added heavy whipping cream
(Silk Heavy Whipping Cream) which is plant based), alittle nutmeg and alittle Old Bay Seasoning.
YUM-O-RAMA!
Thank you so much for this devine recipe!
My first recipe from you, a triumph!
It was so delicious, took your hint and added chopped mushrooms to the onions, and as I am unable to cook without garlic, I added two big cloves, and slipped in a couple of chilies from the garden.
A bay leaf fell into the stock ! It was most welcome, then I accidentally spilled some black pepper into it.
We ate the whole dish, accompanied by a glass ( or two) of a cheap red wine.
This is going to be a weekday favorite.
Excellent quick dish with simple ingredients. I am good at self sabotaging myself with challenging recipes, which takes time and energy. This one here, I’ve now made twice, and all of the family loves it. I am going to check out your site for some more recipes like this one.
How could I make this with a creamy white sauce? Add half and half? Not sure!
You could certainly give it a shot! You may want to spin a bit off of this recipe here https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-pesto-mac-spinach/
Any attempts with whole wheat pasta? I’m always tempted to try it in one-pot pasta dishes, but am not sure how to adjust cooking times and broth amounts.
This is our FAVORITE new recipe! LOVE the bacon, spinach, onion and noodles. It’s really an easy recipe, too.
Love this recipe! One of my favourites on standby. I love adding mushrooms and a bell pepper. So versatile! Thank you Beth for this brilliant website! :D
Great additions!
This dish was by far and away the WORST meal i ever put on the table . a waste of good food . 99% went into the trash
I’m so sorry to hear this Sharon! I’m happy to walk you through the recipe and troubleshoot if you’d like.
This has to be the easiest and most delicious pasta dishes I’ve ever made. I did add a splash of the Chardonnay I was drinking and a little half and half. If anyone finds this recipe to be subpar you should question your cooking skills.
Costco has a big bag of REAL bacon bits for a pretty decent price – online it says $11.50 for 20oz. I don’t know how that compares, price wise – but its pre-cooked, so it sure cuts down on time!! I find it priceless for some things! Just something to keep in mind. Sounds delicious!
Great tip Kristine! Thanks for sharing!
I was not expecting this to be this insanely good! I was making dinner for 1 tonight and decided to try something new from your one-pot page of recipes. I’m glad no one else was home because I ate nearly the entire thing… I’ll have some lunch tomorrow but this was so good, it needs doubled in my house
Ha! Happy to hear it Parker.
I made this tonight for the first time. I added 6 oz of baby Bella mushrooms, sliced. My husband put tomatoes in his. Very good and a nice, light meal for these hot nights!
Happy to hear it Sarah! These hot nights seem never ending lately.
hands down our favorite new recipe – super easy and affordable!!! thank you!!
only changes I made were chopping the spinach (per the family’s request after the 1st time I made it), adding some red pepper flake to give it just a little spice and I drizzled a little bit of the extra grease on the top and mixed it up just before serving
SOOOOOO good! Thank you!!!!
Happy to hear it Bonnie!
This was easy and delicious. Will make again. Love your site! I am a beginner cook and your pics and notes are a great help! Thank you.
Does anyone have recommendations on reheating? Making for a family who just had surgery so thinking of delivering it already done and assuming they can just bake to reheat?
Unfortunately I’ve only ever reheated one serving at a time and I did that with the microwave, so I’m not sure the best way to reheat the whole thing. I feel like reheating it in the oven may cause the pasta to further absorb the moisture and make it turn out dry.
Made this just now with leftovers I had, taste great!
What is the serving size and nutrition facts for this recipe?
This s our family’s favorite recipe I have found on Pinterest! We just love it. YUM
Looks delicious! If you double the recipe you double the broth too? Thank you!
What kind of pasta did you use? Looks like egg noodles?
Nope, it’s a regular pasta and the shape is called campanelle, which means “flowers.” :)
Prepared this exactly as directed (except I had to triple the recipe) and it was very good. I’m raising three grandkids – and it’s tough to please everyone, but they all liked it. The second time I made it, I sautéed two large cloves of minced garlic along with the onions and hand-grated 6-oz wedge of parmesan into the pot once the noodles were finished. (I had it on hand and had almost no parm left in my handy green jar). OMG – what a difference! Beth – you are amazing! Where were you when I was raising my 5 kids on a limited budget? LOL! Thank you for your blog – I enjoy your humor and LOVE your ideas!
My store did not have that type of pasta so I got penne. I hope it works! Also if I use the whole box of pasta, would I use 4 cups of broth?
If it’s a one pound box, that should be about right. Sometimes you have to tweak it a bit with different pasta shapes, though.
This recipe is one of my favorites, because it’s comfort food to the max. I did take your advice and add a good dose of black pepper at the end. Massively delicious!
This was fantastic! I added some leftover rotisserie chicken to make it feel more like a meal and it worked out well. My husband had 2nds!
Delicious and easy. I added 1/2 cup red wine and a little garlic for extra boost.
Thank you
So tasty! Will make again! Thank you
This was like chicken noodle soup with the soup cooked into the pasta! I made this using Rouse’s “naked” rotisserie chicken instead of bacon, since that’s what we had, and elbow pasta. Even with onions and Parmesan it is such a mellow, comforting, light and CHEAP dish! I look forward to trying some of the suggestions in previous comments.
It looks delicious! This blog is an absolute oasis for college kids who have to cook because on-campus meal plans cost a small fortune.
But with that being said, what kind of noodle did you use when you made this?
Thank you! The pasta shape is called “campanelle” and I forgot what brand it was exactly. :)
Delicious and budget-friendly, this recipe is a weekly standby in our house since we discovered it! If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll sautee chicken leg pieces and mushrooms in the leftover bacon grease. Then remove, cook recipe as usual, and add in with the bacon and stir. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Great recipe! I added garlic to sauté with the onion. And red pepper flakes. After the noodles cooked a little I added a tad bit of half and half to make it a little more creamy. My teenagers loved it and ate it all! Will definitely make again.
Made this dish…….delicious! Easy, weeknight meal. Definitely make again.
Used shell pasta and added mushrooms. It was delicious and the whole family loved it!
Broccoli works if you haven’t any spinach : )
Delicious!! Just made and ate for supper
Amaaaazing!!! Will definitely be making this again!!
Does this pasta warm up well in the microwave?
I loved the reheated leftovers. :)
What are leftovers? With this meal, I’m lucky the kids let me have a portion at all! LOL!!!
I just made this and it is delicious!! Definitely a favorite and super simple. Easy for after work and A breeze to clean up!! Could also be classed up with some Prosciutto and a little white wine!!
Had some white wine with it…. delicious!
I added two chicken breasts, roughly cubed, and it really made it into a meal. Plenty enough for the three of us with some left over.
Family raved about this one. Followed the directions exactly. Will add a little more spinach next time – shrinks down so much. Next time I’ll have to cook a recipe and a half (with part in a smaller skillet) because my boys could easily devour more. So easy, and I love that I’m not dirtying more than one pan!
Great week night meal, delish, fast easy. We liked it, will do again and again!
This was a hit in my house! We like to rotate the protein we add to it : Chicken, Pork, Meatballs, Shrimps and even Salmon! I have to admit that a good bacon and chicken broth makes a huge difference!
I made this tonight. I sauteed some diced zucchini with the bacon grease as well and added it the same time as the bacon. Also added some garlic. My 9yr old had two plates and I keep catching my partner sneaking out of the kitchen wirh more in her mouth. Wish I didn’t have a stomach something so I could enjoy it as well. But it seems to be a hit. Thank you!
Hi how are you I made this just last week and it was not good had no taste no one likes it including myself so need less to say I won’t be it again lot of money wasted
What is the name of the pasta used in the pictures?
It’s called campanelle. My favorite. :)
This was fantastic, and so easy. The only change I made was I used frozen ravioli instead of dry pasta and added fresh garlic with the onion. Took a bit longer for the liquid to cook down, but the pasta was done perfectly. Will definitely be making this again.
I made this with rice insted of pasta and Dimsi (Croatian semi-hard smoked cheese from cow milk) insted of parmesan and added diced chicken breast. And it is absolutely delicious. Altough when made with rice it needs a little more chicken broth (1/2-1 cup) than the pasta version. And I don’t really know how much cheese I added, I just grated and stirred and grated and stirred until I was happy with the consistency.
All in all, I absolutely love it.
Delicious! I was out of chicken broth and onions, but I had leftover rotisserie chicken! So, I added that, a little garlic, red pepper flakes and dried minced onion, and it was amazing. Everyone agrees it needs to go in to the regular meal cycle. It seems very flexible, I’m going to try shrimp with it next time.
We had this for the first time tonight. It was great! I cooked the onions more to hide them a bit better from my picky eater. She told me she loved it and I asked her how she liked the onions. She grinned and told me I was tricky. We will be adding this to our regular meal schedule.
This pasta is amazing! My picky 9 year old ate it up. He didn’t eat a ton of the spinach but he ate some so that’s all I care about. This meal was so simple to cook and I’ll be adding this to my recipe rotation!
In the body of the recipe it says to cook the pasta for 10 minutes, but I noticed in the pictures after cooking it that it says 15 minutes. My pasta came out a little more al dente than I prefer, but other than that this was good! Next time I’ll add fresh garlic when I cook my onions.
Good idea on the garlic! Barilla makes a one pot pasta, I used that and only covered it for half of the 10 min and it came out perfect.
Ah I see! Thanks for the tip. The pasta I used was sort of a thick variety so that may have been a lot of it. I’m thinking about trying my hand at this recipe again soon and I’ll look for the one pot pasta.
This is one of my favorite meals EVER. I just made it for the 3rd time. :) Beth you are an angel
I just ran across this recipe two days ago and will be trying it like very soon but I would like to know if this is a meal that can be made in advance an frozen
I don’t think this one will freeze very well, unfortunately. There’s not enough of a sauce to keep the pasta from drying out.
I don’t eat large meals by any means, but unless you’re serving this as a side, it makes 3 servings, not 4. Also wish I had read the comments about adding things like garlic, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. It was a little bland. Will add those if I make it again!
I always cook with turkey bacon and, probably because it is leaner, there never seems to be much of those browned bacon bits you’re talking about. Would you recommend adding a little bit of oil in that case?
No, unfortunately oil doesn’t have the same flavor that bacon fat does. :(
What kind of pasta it looks like egg noodles jus want to be sure.
These were regular noodles, but a shape called “flowers”.
Smelled great but came out way too salty because of the bacon and parmesan.
I got up at 5:20AM today to make this for my co-workers for our lunchtime potluck. I added mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and omitted spinach (as I had none). It received multiple compliments and was actually still very good after it had cooled and been warmed up in the microwave. My husband even emailed me to make sure I bring any leftovers home :) Thanks for the great recipes!
wow! yes, this is an easy and delicious recipe. Will def add it to my rotation.
Stop reading the comments & just go make this dish already! Super delicious. Thanks for another quick, weeknight meal!
Just made this tonight, it was great! I took some of the suggestions left in other comments and added mushrooms and red pepper flakes! Budget Bytes never disappoints!
This was very tasty, but next time I will take out my crispy bacon before I add the pasta and cooking broth. I thought it made the bacon soggy, and re add it at the end with the spinach. I felt like the bacon crispies stuck to the pan were enough to flavour the broth. Thanks for a quick tasty recipe.
Jill the directions state once its crispy to remove the bacon with slotted spoon
Wow! Thanks. I’ve been cooking for years and needed a quick recipe with bacon and spinach pre Christmas so teenage daughter could get out to see the lights. I did start the recipe thinking why am I am trying this random Google search! And I’m ashamed to say I’ve never cooked pasta in one pot like this, so was feeling a bit worried. It was easy and with the beans idea, a smattering of garlic tasted great. Thanks. I’ve got a heap of ideas following this theme now. Why did I ever boil pasta separately?!
This recipe is such a winner – even my kids told me tonight that I had to post and tell you how much we enjoyed it!
This recipe is delicious and amazing. I’m going to try and rework it enough for the instant pot tonight because my stove is broken at the moment. Wish me luck.
I never drain the fat when I make this and I feel no shame.
This receipe could be a basis for something else but just following the recipe was a major disappointment!
Easy and really yummy for my 4-male (plus me) household. Will definitely do again and again.
Fast, easy, satisfying. Lots of flavor for such a simple recipe. I added garlic. Will make again. Thanks, Beth!
Wow! If it wasn’t for the raving comments, i may not have made this because it seemed too basic to be tasty.. damn was i wrong! So simple, so full of flavor, and its a one pot dish! I also love that there is no cream and no tomato base sauce! This is going in my favourites. Thank you SO much!! Just superb.
I’m making this for dinner tonight. And according to my husband you can’t go wrong with bacon. Thank you for your recipes and I love the cost breakdowns.
I have made this recipe so many times now and just have to say not only is it simple to make it tastes so good it’s hard to stop eating it. I often just use the whole bag of spinach just to use it up and it is still delish!
This was absolutely delicious! This is the 2nd recipe I’ve tried from this website and I’m hooked. I added minced garlic and thought of adding grilled chicken breast but it doesn’t need it. Thanks for such great recipes Beth!
Made this for a quick lunch and I have to keep myself from eating the entire pan!
I’ve recently discovered a gluten allergy, so I’ve been looking for recipes that I can make with gluten-free ingredients without losing the taste. This recipe wins all the awards!
I LOVE bacon, spinach and Parmesan cheese, so I was a little heavy handed with all three ingredients. The pasta was simple to make, and of course, delicious!! I’ll definitely make this dish again. Thank you for this awesome recipe, Beth!! :-)
I’m planning on making the Bacon and Spinach Pasta for dinner this week. What kind of pasta would you recommend, Beth? Thanks!! :-)
You could do penne, bowtie, or any medium sized shape. :)
Would you say this recipe is freezer friendly? If yes, any specific freezer instructions please?
This one would probably just freeze okay. Because there isn’t a ton of sauce, it might be kind of dry after reheating. It can be frozen in a pinch, but is definitely better fresh. To freeze pasta dishes, I just divide them into individual sized resealable containers (like Ziploc or Gladware) and then microwave in the same container to reheat.
Was delicious! I have a 7 year old that is a very finicky eater. She LOVED it! A great way to get her to eat spinach!
Recipes are good but will like to se calories and amount per serving
I substituted turkey bacon and plugged it in to myfitnesspal recipe builder and it came out to 318 calories per serving. I plan on making it this week and we’ll see how it turns out :)
I subbed the Parmesan with feta bc that’s what I had on hand and it was SO GOOD. Added some good acid!
This was SO good! I will definitely be making this again- and again and again. My two year old even loved it, and he’s the pickiest eater ever. Very easy to make too.
I’ve made this so many times that I know the recipe by heart. It is soooo yummy! Even my 2 1/2 year old asks for it for dinner. Thanks for all of the yummy recipes and great instructions. We’ve really become huge fans.
First recipe I made from your website. I liked it a lot!
I took your tip and also added crushed red peppers. I added a bit too much though… But still, it was a nice meal.
I added the spinach 1/4 lbs (125 grams or so, I think), but it seemed like it was too little. I added the rest of the bag and ended up with about 300 grams of spinach mixed through the pasta. I figured that since the flavor is so strong that the extra spinach might help balance things out a bit.
I will definitely be coming back for more cheap and delicious recipes :).
Oh so yummy! My husband demanded I make it again this week and I had to use restraint to not to finish off my kids leftovers. So simple but delicious as usual. Your website is the basis of all our favorite meals now.
Hi Beth, do you think I could take out the bacon/meat altogether, but add artichoke hearts and Roma or sun dried tomatoes? If so, when should I add the artichoke hearts and the Roma tomatoes? It was a great recipe for the family, although I just picked out the bacon.
Well, the bacon really adds a lot of flavor to this recipe, so keep that in mind if you try a meatless version. I would add artichoke hearts, roma tomatoes, or sun dried tomatoes with the broth and pasta and let them go through the simmer process to help the flavors get into the pasta.
I have to say again how much we love this recipe! I made it last night with a cup of crimini mushrooms sautéed in butter (because I used lean ham instead of bacon), a clove of garlic and homemade fettucini that I dried. I wasn’t sure it would work because even fresh dry pasta cooks for a much shorter time than than commercial, but the pasta was al dente and the remaining chicken broth thickened into a tasty sauce in about 7 minutes. Thank you again, my husband gave it his ultimate approval by saying we should have it again.
I made this for myself tonight and can’t wait to dig into it tomorrow for lunch as well! I used mini farfalle as my pasta and it was perfect.
Mm. I made this earlier this week ’cause I had some extra bacon sitting around, and it’s just lovely.
I was worried I’d lack for body and protein with just the bacon and the cheese, so I beefed it up quite a bit by adding about eight sliced white button mushrooms and a can’s worth of white beans. Definitely a good choice. They rounded it out and made it more filling without compromising the flavor.
I did notice that between the cheese, the broth, and the bacon, the dish was fairly oily, just barely crossing the line into “cloying” territory. Next time I make this, I think I’ll add a splash of cider vinegar or lemon juice to cut that with a little acidity.
What is this “extra bacon” thing you speak of?
Making this right now as I type! It smells great, and I used turkey bacon to bring down the fat content for dietary purposes – still has that smokey flavor!
This is definitely a quick weekday dinner option.
Okay so after eating this last night, all I can say is “YUM!” My partner said this tasted restaurant quality because the flavor was so unique and scrumptious.
I just bookmarked your website, and am trying the “Greek marinated chicken dish” tomorrow. Love your recipes from a budget friendly college student!
This is scrumptious :D I added 227g mushrooms and 2 cloves garlic. So addictive!
This was great! I used mushroom Better Than Bouillon and threw about a half cup and diced mushrooms in with the onions, and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Delicious. I’m grateful for your tip about buying bags of cooking kale – it’s way cheaper.
I found that I didn’t need to stirfry the kale first – it was okay just stirring it in at the end and giving it a couple extra minutes to soften. I also doubled (at least) the kale – thank goodness I have a massive skillet – and added a green bell pepper.
Another cheap and easy win :)
I made this today and it was so good! I used egg noodles instead of the noodles you had, and I had to add a little extra broth but it was super easy and great.
This was honestly super easy to make. I did not have any spinach so I used a green bell pepper and some green peas. I also added some crushed red pepper and crushed black pepper. It looked too good to eat! It was sooo delicious. My face was like this:
Wow! I thought this recipe seemed a bit too simple at first, but it’s so delicious. I had never thought of boiling noodles with broth. It’s SO much better. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Made this with a shallot and turkey bacon – amazing as always!
Thanks for a great recipe. Made this for the family tonight since I had a giant bag of spinach to use up. Didn’t have any bacon so I used some diced ham left over from the holidays and some prosciutto torn into pieces.
Added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. There was still a good bit of broth so I added a dollop of sour cream and stirred it in with the Parmesan. OMG – there wasn’t a drop left it was so delicious!
Made this for dinner tonight~! YUM! Will be making this one again and again. :) Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year!
I just did this for my son!! My my it tastes awesome:) thanks so much
You are such a blessing. So grateful for you. Been looking for help in the kitchen. I eat out way to much and its taken a toll on the budget. God bless you.
Tiffany Lynette
My brother pointed your blog out to me when we were talking about cheap eats over Thanksgiving. Tried this one out tonight and holy moly it is great! Thanks so much and I’m looking forward to cooking some more :)
I made this and it was delicious!!!! Thanks for this recipe it will be a company dish in our house! I can’t wait to try another recipe from you. xooxox
I really didn’t have high expectations for this recipe, it seemed way too simple, but I didn’t feel like battling rush hour traffic to go to the supermarket and I had all the ingredients on hand…well, frozen spinach at least. This was so delicious, I could not believe it! I did add a pinch of crushed red pepper when I added the frozen spinach and some fresh cracked pepper with the parmesan. I was battling with myself this morning over whether to take this or one of my leftover servings of Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet.
I want to make this with double the amount of pasta called for in your recipe, 16 oz. Should I double the rest of the ingredients? I”m not sure if I would end up with too much liquid at the end?
I woul double everything, yes, but you might have trouble finding a lidded skillet that will hold that much. It might work in a wide pot.
Made this this evening with a few modifications. I put in maybe 1/4 of the called for bacon and when I added the diced onion I also added a few handfuls of pretty tightly diced white mushroom. I added a diced salad tomato just before the spinach, and ended up having to use about a 1/4 hunk of frozen spinach instead of fresh (I would have added more but it just was such little pieces already…).
The red pepper flakes are NECESSARY and I would probably add garlic and pepper to the onion/bacon mixture before adding the pasta next time. That said, I sat down to eat my dinner, and after 10 minutes of eating I realized I had to stop and put a portion into a tupperware for lunch tomorrow otherwise I’d eat it all right there. DELICIOUS.
If we want to add the can of white beans you mentioned, at what point in the recipe should we do that?
I would add them with the pasta and broth before simmering. Also, I would rinse and drain them first.
I just made this with a few adjustments:
Some of my pasta was not cooked at the end even though the broth was absorbed, so I just added about another cup of water and let it cook for a few more minutes.
I didn’t cook the pasta with the bacon, I added it in at the end.
I used frozen spinach instead of fresh. I used about a cup? I didn’t really measure.
It was so delicious that I totally forgot to add the red pepper flakes at the end. Thanks for another great recipe!
This one was great! Only change I made was using turkey bacon since I don’t eat pork. I added it just before the parm cheese since it doesn’t crisp the same as regular bacon and would get rubbery if I cooked it with the pasta. Totally delisious. Beth your blog is such a god send. If you never find “the cure” in your lab at least you’ve touched the world with your food.
This was so easy to make and so flavorful despite only a handful of ingredients. I can tell this is a recipe I’ll be making a lot. It’s the kind of carby comfort food I crave when the weather gets cold.
Hi Beth,
My girlfriend and I tried this recipe last night, the pasta was delicious, but the bacon came out a bit soggy which threw us off a bit. How is the bacon supposed to come out in this dish? Any tips for improving?
Mine was still fairly firm, although not exactly crunchy. Another method you can try is to take the bacon out after cooking and then just add it back in at the end. The leftover bacon grease should still provide a lot of flavor to the pasta even if the bacon pieces aren’t in there while the pasta cooks. :)
Thanks, we are going to try that on our next attempt! :)
I tried this last night and it was amazing – such a simple dish with incredibly complex flavors. Did take the tip about adding a dash of pepper flakes (ok, three dashes) and kicked in a touch of garlic – because garlic is good nearly everywhere – and my husband asked for seconds and a repeat on the recipe. Thanks for a change from his meat-and-potatoes blinders.
I make this exactly as written; it’s fabulous! I think my husband would be happy if I made this recipe every night
for dinner. Let’s see… pasta, bacon, spinach, cheese… what could possibly less than wonderful? Cooking the pasta in broth is a great technique; it adds lots of flavor.
Thanks for another great recipe!
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this dish already – it is delicious, easy, and will definitely be one of my family’s “go-to” meals for years to come! Thank you so much!!
I made this last night and I used red swiss chard instead of spinach because that’s what I had in the fridge. I also added a few halved cherry tomatoes because, try as I might, I can’t make myself follow any recipe exactly :o
It was AMAZING.. such incredible flavor when you cook it in stock, and only requires one pot :) thanks for the recipe!!!
i added artichokes!
This looks so yummy and easy. I recently have discovered using bacon with pasta and rice (I make a killer bacon and egg breakfast stir fry).. it’s so simple and good!
thanks
We made this for dinner last night and enjoyed it. I think next time I might try adding a beaten egg in with the Parmesan for more of a carbonara type dish. I also added red pepper flake.
we added a can of white kidney beans…delicious!
Made this tonight. I substituted chopped frozen spinach because it was what I had. The smell is so intoxicating. My roommates keep asking what I was cooking. Delicious!
Made this last night with penne. It is lovely. So far I’ve made two of your recipes and have thoroughly enjoyed both. The only change I think I’ll make for this one is less bacon next time. It sort of overpowered the flavors a bit. Still, it’s delicious, and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes, especially that artichoke wonderpot.
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I only used 3 oz. of bacon and ended up not having to drain it, and it was still plenty bacon-y. I also added some sliced mushrooms with the onions. The whole thing was great. I’d never had campanelle before, but it was perfect for this dish. Frilly tubes.
I made this tonight and I love it! My husband is a very picky eater but he cleaned his plate and kept commenting that this is an amazing meal :)
Made this last night and it was so good! My husband loved it too and he is a hard one to please. Thanks!
This was great! Thanks!
I also made this last night. And it was so good. I bought a bag of diced onion as well as a bag of spinach/chard/kale mix instead of just spinach, all from trader joe’s.
This was so good and I can see this being a go to pasta recipe.
Thanks!!
I made this yesterday—- it was AMAZING!!! So tasty! The “sauce” it made was all bacon laced and delicious! Will definitely make this again and again, maybe adding roasted red peppers!
I was procrastinating making dinner by checking my email, and boy am I glad I did. This recipe was sitting there waiting for me and boy is it tasty. Thank you so much.
This recipe is wonderful!! I subbed pancetta for the bacon and added fresh garlic. I’ve been a BB fan for a long time and you never let me down! Thank you for all of the delicious ideas, Beth. :)
I made this tonight with some frozen broccoli that I happened to have in the freezer. It was delish. Thanks for the recipe!
This was dinner tonight! Amazingly yummy. I probably didn’t use enough spinach (and maybe that’s the reason why) but I can’t see it feeding 4 people. Granted, I probably ate more than I should have…did I mention this was soo good. Probably should come with a warning label!
This looks so tasty! You can’t go wrong with pasta and bacon.
K my grandma showed me this trick. Use kitchen shears to cut the strips of bacon to make small bite-sized pieces. It’s so nice especially if you’re not cutting anything else, just snip as much off as you want.
Do you think this would work with turkey bacon?
Probably, but it won’t be quite as rich.
Thank you, I love your recipes I have not made one recipe I didn’t like and I have made quite a few.
This looks delicious, I will definitely try it :)
http://booksandmacarons.blogspot.co.uk/
Oh my gosh this looks DELICIOUS! definitely going to make this ASAP! You are my favorite food blogger :) :)
summerandatlantic.blogspot.com
I am always buying those large tubs of spinach for my usual smoothies, but it gets wilted and slimy before I can use it all. What is your experience with freezing it along with your fruit? That sounds way less wasteful and more convenient!
LOVE your site, and that’s an understatement!
I’ve started freezing all sorts of greens in my smoothie packs (spinach, kale, parsley, mint) and it works marvelously!
Bacon and spinach is such a winning combination and this pasta looks amazing! And most recipes I see for pasta with bacon also call for cream, which ends up being way too rich for me. I like that you just used broth.
That looks yummy! When my son was little the “good” rice was when I cooked it in chicken broth. I also like to stir frozen peas and carrots into it for a quick pilaf.
I think some sun dried tomatoes would be delicious in this dish.
Oooh, good call! :)
This is a favorite go-to pasta for my family. I suggest adding a squeeze of Lemon juice. It brightens up the dish. :)
Great tip!
I LOVE bacon, and that pasta looks mouthwatering! I would love to make this dish for lunch, and it doesn’t look too heavy. I can’t wait to make it!! :-)
This looks amazing and so easy! I just bought some bacon yesterday with the plans to make carbonara this week, but now I think I will try this instead!