There comes a time in life when you need to eat bacon. Not all the time. Certainly not every day. But bacon calls to us, whispering in the wind at times. The thought of it invokes the smell of it. The smell of it and the sound of the sizzling, greasy pan is so peculiarly enticing it cannot be resisted. Breakfast sandwiches. Omelets. On pizza. Sprinkled on a baked potato with sour cream. And pasta. Bacon and pasta are one of the ultimate culinary love affairs. And orecchiette pasta with leeks and bacon is a slightly indulgent treat that must not be missed.
Small Ingredient List with Big Flavors
For this recipe, we're working with a small number of ingredients that will satisfy your comfort food cravings and then some. If you're craving carbs, which seems to happen once it gets chilly outside, this is the perfect dish for your next cozy night of chilling out and watching Netflix.
Here's What You Need to Make Orecchiette Pasta with Leeks and Bacon:
- orecchiette pasta
- leeks
- garlic
- bacon
- pasta water
- shaker parmesan cheese
- olive oil, butter, salt and pepper for cooking and seasoning
- white wine, optional
- fresh grated parmesan, optional garnish
- fresh chopped parsley, optional garnish
Easy Steps for Making Bacon, Leeks & Pasta:
- First things first, cook the pound of bacon and get that out of the way. I didn't show cooking the bacon in the video because that's boring.
- Heat your pot of salted water to cook the pasta.
- Slice the white and light green section of the leeks into rounds and soak in water to clean.
- Chop the cooled bacon.
- Finely dice the garlic.
- Cook the leeks in one pan while the pasta cooks in another, they should both be done around the same time. SET ASIDE YOUR PASTA WATER BEFORE DRAINING THE PASTA.
- Transfer drained pasta to a bowl with olive oil, pasta water, cheese, bacon, leeks. Toss to coat. Add more hot tap water if you want it creamier, but not extra pasta water because that is salted - you don't want to over-salt this.
- Serve immediately. Top with optional fresh chopped parsley and fresh parmesan cheese.
An Easy Meal for Feeding Four to Six People
As many of you know, I love cooking with leftovers in mind. So, if you are two, four or six people this meal has got you covered. If you're feeding six people with this, plan on a side salad, veggies, or some crusty bread. For four people, these will be hefty portions so if you've got big eaters - this will be a winner.
If you are fewer than four this will also be great because you can pack the leftovers for your lunches. You don't need to spend your hard-earned money on expensive take-out food. When cooking, I often try to take care of my immediate needs, and also my future needs. If you can get into the habit of doing this, you will save money in the long run.
Orecchiette Pasta Pieces are Like Tiny Bowls of Food
One of the best parts about orecchiette pasta is they look like miniature bowls. The kind of tiny bowls you'd find in a dollhouse. And what do we use bowls for? Food! 🙂 So after you assemble the pasta, and toss all those awesome ingredients together - something magical happens.
Each bite of orecchiette contains a mouthful of presents. The little "bowls" fill with the cheese, bacon and leeks. And every bite is different. It's my favorite part about using this particular pasta. There's little treats in each bite that burst just a little as you eat them. And if you're a weird little foodie like me: you will totally appreciate that sensation.
Oh! You Want More Pasta Ideas? I Gotcha Covered:
- Creamy Chicken, Bacon Pasta (no butter, no cream) - so yeah, more bacon
- Swiss Chard Pasta with Lemony Bread Crumbs & Bacon Bits - tired of bacon yet?
- Chicken & Broccoli Penne Pasta w/Garlic White Wine Sauce
- The Ultimate Spaghetti Lasagna
- Dan Dan Noodles (Dandanmian)
- Pan Seared Sea Scallops w/Basil Brown Butter, Asparagus & Farfalle
- Pesto Pasta w/Olives, Shiitake Mushrooms & Artichokes
- Gorgonzola Rigatoni w/Sausage & Basil
Orecchiette Pasta with Leeks and Bacon
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
The ultimate comfort food for those cold winter nights is this fabulous orecchiette pasta with leeks and bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. thick cut bacon, cooked & chopped (about 11-12 strips)
- 1 lb box of orecchiette pasta
- 2 teaspoons of salt for the pasta water
- 1 cup shaker parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pasta water
- Parsley garnish, optional
- Fresh parmesan cheese, optional topping
For cooking the leeks:
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium-to-large leeks, sliced rounds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely diced garlic (4-5 medium-to-large cloves)
- ⅓ cup white wine, optional
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pound of thick cut bacon. Thick cut bacon has about 11-12 slices of bacon in the package. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined paper plate and set aside to cool.
- If you are using fresh parsley as a garnish, chop that now. This is optional.
- Start heating a pot of water with two teaspoons of salt on high heat. The water needs to be salted because we are using the pasta water at the end when we assemble the dish. The water should be boiling by the time you start cooking the leeks.
- Slice and wash the leeks. We’re using the white and light green part of the leeks for this. Cut the tips at one end of the leek and cut where the light green ends at the other end. Slice the leeks into ¼” rounds. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with water. Rinse the leeks well – they can be very dirty. While you’re soaking – break apart the rings. Drain the water when finished.
- Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces. Not bacon bits – but small pieces.
- Finely dice the garlic. I usually slice the garlic into thin rounds then chop it down into finer bits from there.
- On medium heat, melt butter and olive oil in a pan, add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Toss the leeks to coat. Stir every minute or so and if you need to reduce the heat a little you should.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Follow the box instructions. Orecchiette takes 9-12 minutes to cook. I found it took a full 12 minutes.
- At the 10 minute mark of cooking the leeks, add the garlic and a splash of olive oil. Let the garlic get fragrant for a minute in the center of pan, then mix to combine with the leeks. Cook and stir another minute or so.
- Add the white wine to the pan (make sure you are on medium-to-high heat here). Let the wine reduce down completely. This should take about 2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic burn once the wine is reduced. Turn the heat off and the leeks should be soft and some will be golden brown too. My video shows all this very well.
- RESERVE the pasta water before you strain the pasta.
- Assemble the pasta: Transfer cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl then add the leek/garlic/wine mixture, a splash of olive oil, the chopped bacon, pasta water and shaker parmesan cheese. Mix everything together and make sure the leeks don’t clump together – break them up and distribute evenly. This is not a saucy pasta. If you want the pasta to be creamier add hot tap water and stir to your liking. You shouldn’t use more pasta water because that is salted and we don’t want to over-salt the dish. Hot tap water works great here.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley and fresh parmesan cheese – this is optional.
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