Creamy, Cheesy, Maple Bacon and Broccoli Bucatini

A deliciously creamy pasta dish featuring maple bacon and broccoli for a hint of healthiness.

By @perfectpastaa

Original recipe source

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 0 water enough to fill the pot
• 0 salt to taste
• 0.5 tbsp butter
• 0.5 tbsp olive oil
• 6 rashers maple bacon sliced
• 1 head broccoli cut into florets
• 1 brown onion diced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp chili flakes optional
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 250 g bucatini or up to 300g for 4 servings
• 270 g sun dried tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 150 ml thickened cream
• 0 Parmesan freshly grated
• 0 Parmesan freshly shaved
• 0 parsley freshly chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt heavily.
2. In a separate pan over medium heat with the butter and oil, cook off the bacon. Remove from the pan once crispy.
3. The water should be at a rolling boil by now, add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside once bright green in color.
4. Discard some of the fat from the bacon before adding the onions to the pan with the seasonings.
5. Once the broccoli is done, add the pasta to the same water and stir continuously for the first 30-60 seconds to prevent sticking.
6. Once onions have softened, add the sun dried tomatoes.
7. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
8. Add the cream cheese and cream and stir well until melted and well combined.
9. Add the cooked broccoli and half of the bacon and stir to combine.
10. Add some pasta water to help emulsify the sauce before adding the al dente bucatini to the pan and stirring through until evenly coated.
11. Add Parmesan to help thicken the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. Find a balance of both until you’re happy with the consistency.
12. Serve topping with the remaining bacon, Parmesan, and freshly chopped parsley.