The term bacon is used loosely in the title of this tomato bacon pasta recipe, because this dish is delicious with regular bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta. In addition to cured meat, it’s rich with olive oil, white wine, and crushed tomatoes. There is a whole lot of naturally dairy-free flavor going on in this sauce!
Tomato Bacon Pasta with Bacon, Proscuitto, or Pancetta
This recipe was originally shared with us by a friend named Janelle, a former blogger and chef turned entrepreneur. She now runs the business, Barn2Door, which helps farmers connect with customers. We’ve since updated this post, but stayed true to her recipe.
Ingredient Tips & Notes
- Choosing your Meats: So what is the difference between bacon, pancetta and prosciutto? Bacon and pancetta are both pork belly, and they’re both cured. But bacon is also smoked. Prosciutto is a ham cut that is slow cured, and then very thinly sliced. They’re all salty and delicious, and allergy-friendly, but they each have their own distinct flavors.
- The Best Wine: For red sauce, Pinot Grigio seems to be the most popular white wine pick. But Rose, Reisling, and Sauvignon Blanc can also be good choices.
- Tomatoes: I you have garden fresh tomatoes, you can substitute 2 pounds of tomatoes, pulsed or crushed in your blender or food processor.
Special Diet Notes: Tomato Bacon Pasta
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free.
- ½ cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ pound bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta, finely diced
- 1½ cups white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 12 ounces dry pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
- Pinch coarse salt, or to taste
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, seasoning, and red pepper. Saute for abot 2 minutes.
- Add the bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to the package direction while the sauce simmers.
- Stir the salt into the sauce, and serve over cooked pasta.