Pasta with Fennel, Bacon, and Parmesan
on Mar 27, 2013, Updated Mar 31, 2024
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At once elegant and peasant-ish, this 30-minute pasta recipe contains just a handful of pantry ingredients. A perfect weeknight dinner when you don't know what to cook.
This is one of those pasta you can make in less than 30 minutes with just five ingredients you may well have in your fridge and pantry. It’s the kind of quick and easy — but highly satisfying — a pasta dish that will leave you feeling pretty pleased with yourself. I love making something delicious from what I have on hand, and here the bright anise flavor of fennel is a perfect balance to the richness of the cheese and bacon.
At once elegant and peasant-ish, this is a dish that has but a few flavors that add up to an admirable level of complexity. You really don’t need a side dish, but if you are so inclined, try Sautéed Spinach, simply cooked broccolini, or a salad like Crunchy Mixed Green Salad.
You’ll want to give the final dish a generous drizzle of olive oil, a generous sprinkle of freshly ground pepper, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan. Generous, I say!
Table of Contents
Pasta with Fennel, Bacon and Parmesan: At once elegant and peasant-ish, these few ingredients come together in a kind of classy way.
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Ingredients
Don’t count the pasta, olive oil, salt and pepper as part of the 5-ingredients. I didn’t.
- Pasta – I like a long skinny pasta in this dish, like thin spaghetti.
- Leeks – Use the white and light green parts, cleaned and thinly sliced.
- Fennel – Cook until it’s tender but still has a nice texture.
- Chicken broth – You can use vegetable broth if you prefer; either way, I like to use less-sodium to control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan will really take this dish to another level. Make sure to pass more Parm on the side.
- Cooked crumbled bacon – Try baking your bacon to reduce splattering and have the oven do the work for you. Or make bacon lardons.
How to Make Pasta with Fennel, Bacon and Parmesan
- Cook the pasta.
- Sauté the vegetables: While the pasta is cooking, sauté the leeks and fennel. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Finish the pasta: Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta and returning it to the pot, adding the fennel mixture into the pot. Add some or all of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Add the Parmesan and the bacon and toss to combine.
- Serve: Serve hot and pass additional Parmesan at the table.
Tips
- Cook the vegetables while the pasta is cooking to save time.
- Make sure to save some of the cooking water.
- Be careful with the salt. The pasta cooking water will contain some salt, as does the Parmesan and bacon, so you probably don’t have to add much salt, if any.
Storage and Reheating
The pasta will last for 4 days in the fridge. This kind of pasta tends to dry out a bit as it chills so if you have leftovers, when you reheat them in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave, you will probably want to toss them with a bit more broth, or at the very least water. Another (generous) drizzle of olive oil would certainly not hurt at all.
What to Serve With Pasta with Fennel, Bacon, and Parmesan
More 5-Ingredient Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Sausage Pasta
- Pasta with Creamy Sundried Tomato and Scallion Sauce
- Greek Pasta
- Chicken Marsala Pasta
- Cacio e Pepe
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Pasta with Fennel, Bacon and Parmesan
Ingredients
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 pounds thin spaghetti or other long skinny pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 3 large leeks (white and light green parts; cleaned and thinly sliced)
- 3 cups chopped fennel (about 2 medium bulbs)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 6 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water generously, and let it return to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook accordingly to package directions, stirring occasionally.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and fennel and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Turn the fennel mixture into the pot with the pasta and add some or all of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Toss to combine. Add the Parmesan and the bacon and toss to combine. Drizzle with some additional olive oil. Serve hot and pass additional Parmesan at the table.
Notes
- Cook the vegetables while the pasta is cooking to save time.
- Make sure to save some of the cooking water
- Be careful with the salt: the pasta cooking water will contain some salt, as does the Parmesan and bacon, so you probably don’t have to add much salt, if any.
- If you have leftovers, when you reheat them you will probably want to toss them with a bit more broth, or at the very least water, as this kind of pasta tends to dry out a bit as it chills in the fridge. Another (generous) drizzle of olive oil would certainly not hurt at all.
