One-Pot Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni

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A one-pot pasta dish is one of my favorites! It uses minimal dishes and seriously, all my kids eat it! You can’t go wrong with that! No baking, no separate boiling for the pasta. LITERALLY one-pot. Perfect for spring (or even summer), enter… my One-Pot Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni.

I’ve seen this technique done only a handful of times, and every time it was done by a chef (my father would do this technique, often). But I don’t know why it’s not embraced more in homes. It really saves on time and dishes!

Now, yes, you see me putting it into a pretty platter (but when you have cute Mora Ceramic Platters, how can you not)? You don’t have to do that! You can just lay out a trivet on your table, place the pan out, and enjoy!

This technique is a little different than what most of you are probably used to. You don’t cook and then add the pasta after you make the “sauce”, you actually cook the pasta in broth and that is what makes the sauce. It helps keep your noodles from getting overcooked and it also adds this absolutely amazing dimension to the pasta itself.

One-Pot Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni Ingredients

Bacon

Instead of using oil, we’re going to use the bacon fat. It gives the pasta a nice smokey flavor and adds a little salt.

Garlic

What’s a pasta dish without garlic? Because we’re cooking the garlic it’s not sharp, but pronounced.

Rigatoni Pasta

I love rigatoni pasta for this. It holds the sauce well and I love that as you toss everything together you end up with some pasta that has asparagus in it!

Chicken Stock

I use this instead of water to add more flavor to the dish. You can also use vegetable or beef stock as well.

Asparagus

I personally love asparagus, but this can be replaced with really any vegetable. You can scroll down to Substitutions/suggestions for details.

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream adds a creaminess (obviously) to the Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni. It also helps very slightly thin out the pasta.

Cream Cheese

The cream cheese helps create a cheesy creamy sauce very similar to alfredo.

Milk

This is to help out the sauce on your Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni if it seems thick.

Parmesan Cheese

The Parm does two things… adds salt and umami (fun fact Parmesan creates natural MSG) as well as the obvious, makes it cheesy. Again, this is very reminiscent of Alfredo.

Salt and Pepper

Salt enhances the other flavors. The pepper helps add a little bit of flavor and spice (but not too much).

QUICK OVERVIEW

Cooking Instructions

This is just the cooking directions for my One-Pot Asparagus and Bacon Rigatoni. For the full recipe, keep scrolling down.

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon pieces until crispy. Transfer to a plate/pan lined with a paper towel and drain half the fat.
2. Add garlic to the pot and let cook until fragrant (About 1 minute)
3. Add the stock and rigatoni. ***If you’re using fresh, uncooked Asparagus add it now!****
4. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until al dente, stirring every so often to help prevent sticking. *There should be a little broth left in the pot.*
5. Add the cream cheese in chunks and stir until melted and covering the pasta.
6. Add cooked asparagus to the pot and stir to combine with noodles. Cover and cook until tender, 2 minutes.
7. Add in heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, then stir until creamy (if it seems dry you can add the milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time).
8. Add most of the bacon back to the pot and stir,
9. Top with remaining bacon and the Parmesan and serve

ENJOY and Share!

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It’s always wonderful to see loved ones coming together over delicious food. 

Please leave your feedback and rate this recipe using the star icons on the recipe card. Your input would help me improve this and future recipes. Thank you!

For another one-pot pasta wonder… check out my One-Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff or Healthy-ish Stovetop Mac and Cheese

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