Creamy One-Pan Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Cheese

Ingredients

• 250 g diced bacon
• 4 ripe tomatoes (About 600 g; make a small slit in the skin to make it easier to remove later.)
• 3 dentes garlic (Chopped or crushed.)
• 1 onion (Medium, chopped.)
• 0.5 green bell pepper (Seeded and chopped.)
• 0.5 carrot (Grated; used to help balance the acidity of the tomatoes.)
• 1 red finger chili pepper (Seeded and chopped; adjust to taste.)
• 400 g dried pasta (Short pasta or another shape of your choice; cook according to the package instructions.)
• 80 g Gorgonzola (Crumbled or chopped.)
• 50 g Parmesan (Grated.)
• 200 g light Brazilian cream cheese (For creaminess.)
• 150 g mozzarella (Grated or cut into pieces; added at the end.)
• salt (To taste, bearing in mind that the bacon and cheeses are already salty.)
• black pepper (To taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the bacon into cubes, chop the garlic and onion, remove the seeds from the bell pepper and finger chili, and set all the ingredients aside. Grate the carrot and Parmesan.

2. 2

   Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and fry it in its own fat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp.

3. 3

   Add the tomatoes to the skillet directly over the bacon. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for a few minutes, until the tomatoes soften and the skins begin to loosen.

4. 4

   Remove the lid and, if desired, pull off the loosened tomato skins with tongs. Crush the tomatoes directly in the skillet with a spoon or spatula, forming a rustic sauce.

5. 5

   Add the chopped garlic and onion. Sauté over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant, without letting the garlic burn.

6. 6

   Add the seeded green bell pepper and sauté lightly for another 2 minutes, just until it begins to soften.

7. 7

   Stir in the grated carrot and finger chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, to combine the flavors and soften the acidity of the tomatoes.

8. 8

   While the sauce cooks, prepare the pasta in boiling water according to the time indicated on the package, keeping it al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.

9. 9

   Add the Gorgonzola and Parmesan to the hot sauce. Stir until the cheeses begin to melt and combine with the tomatoes and bacon.

10. 10

    Add the light Brazilian cream cheese and mix well until the sauce is smooth, thick, and creamy. If necessary, thin it with small amounts of the reserved pasta water.

11. 11

    Add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet. Carefully toss all the pasta in the sauce and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through and glossy.

12. 12

    Add the mozzarella and stir until partially melted, making the pasta even creamier. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper, remembering that the bacon and cheeses are already salty.

13. 13

    Serve immediately, very hot, with the ingredients evenly distributed throughout the pasta.

Notes

The original recipe is presented as a flexible idea made with ingredients found in the refrigerator. The quantities, except for the 250 g of bacon, were estimated from the narrated preparation; adapt the vegetables and cheeses available. To prevent the dish from becoming too salty, taste it before adding salt.

Nutrition per serving

• pasta
• main course
• one-pan
• creamy
• with bacon
• with cheese
• easy
• adaptable