Beef Bacon Aglio E Olio

Try this Beef Bacon Spaghetti Aglio E Olio that’s so easy to make, it feels effortless! Perfect for days when you’re on a tight schedule, or nights when you just want to chill.

If I have one food ingredient that gets me absolutely weak in the knees, it’s bacon. (Let’s forget the other 10,000 favorites I’ve declared my love to and written sonnets for). It has that crispy, smokey, slightly salty taste to it that completely elevates a dish whenever you add it in my opinion. And when it comes to this beef bacon spaghetti aglio e olio, it’s immaculate. I especially love it when you take bites of the pasta without realizing the existence of some pieces of bacon in it, but the minute you register that it’s there? *Sparks of joy.*

Aglio e olio is a classic Italian pasta dish that’s super quick and easy to whip up, which makes it ideal for those mid-week meals when it can get super tiring. The beauty of this dish is that there’s so many variations for you play with, and it’s all an absolute treat! Adding bacon is a pretty effortless way to incorporate different flavors and textures to the pasta.

This classic pasta dish is probably THE DISH that made me fall in love with garlic. If you’ve been around long enough you know I’m a self-proclaimed garlic girl — can’t get enough of it. I was 16 when I first tried this and that was it. I will always order this dish if it’s on the menu when I eat out but I always find that the garlic flavor is not strong enough. Which is why I started making my own at home so I can add as much garlic as my heart desires.

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS BEEF BACON AGLIO E OLIO

• Sauté garlic in low heat – It’s important to simmer the olive oil in low heat when you sauté the garlic so that the garlic flavor really infuses the oil and you’ll avoid accidentally burning it.
• Adding pasta water – When you add the starchy pasta water to hot oil, that emulsifies the garlic-infused oil into a smooth, non-greasy finish. I used to make the mistake of omitting this step, but it definitely makes a difference! I do this by adding freshly boiled pasta from the pot straight into the garlic oil so you can get some of that pasta water.
• Salty boiling water – The water to boil the noodles should be as salty as the sea. The noodles will absorb the salt water, so you won’t have to add much salt later on.
• Beef bacon – I used beef bacon, but feel free to swap it with your favorite ones. Some times I go for Turkey bacon too. You can also add some mushrooms if you’d like!

Looking for more quick and easy noodle recipes? Here you go:

• Easy Chow Mein (10 Minutes)
• 10-minute Spicy Cheesy Udon
• Spicy Peanut Noodles (10 minutes)
• Garlic Chili Oil Noodles (10 minutes)

RECIPE

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Beef Bacon Aglio E Olio

Try this Beef Bacon Spaghetti Aglio E Olio that's so easy to make, it feels effortless! Perfect for days when you're on a tight schedule, or nights when you just want to chill.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: aglio e olio, bacon aglio e olio, easy pasta, easy recipes, garlic pasta, quick pasta

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb spaghetti
• 10 cloves garlic sliced
• 2 fresh chili peppers or chili flakes
• 2 slices beef bacon sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt
• sugar
• parsley

Instructions

• Add 1-2 tablespoon of salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil.
• Add your pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
• While the pasta is boiling, pan fry beef bacon until crispy and remove from the pan.
• Turn heat down to low and pour in the olive oil.
• Immediately add the garlic and chili peppers/chili flakes and stir.
• Let it cook for at least 10-15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off heat and add half the bacon and spaghetti straight from the pot. We want some of that pasta water.
• Stir until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt and sugar if not enough.
• Serve and add the other half of the bacon on top and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

*The water to cook the spaghetti needs to be very salty since the spaghetti will absorb the salt and you won’t have to season as much later on.

*Very important to cook the garlic over low heat to prevent burning and to infuse the oil with the garlic and chili pepper flavor.

*You can also drain the pasta and add it to the garlic oil instead of adding it directly from the pot. Just remember to reserve at least a quarter cup of the pasta water and add a little bit at a time while stirring the pasta. You don’t want to add too much, just enough to emulsify the garlic-infused oil into a smooth, non-greasy finish.

*The amount of chili pepper/chili flakes used should be up to your heat preference.

*You can swap out the beef bacon with your favorite bacon/pancetta or omit it.

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