Recipes 3 min read
One-Pot Bacon Pizza Pasta Recipe for Quick Weeknight Meals
The other night a few of my teenager’s friends came over for a Minecraft party and dinner. For those without teens or gamers, that means a table full of laptops and boys building pixelated worlds. The surprise was that I only knew they were coming about half an hour before they arrived—right at dinner time. To make matters more urgent, it was nearly 100°F outside and the boys were arriving straight from fencing practice.
Hungry teenage boys, hot weather, and little time to plan called for one thing: a big pot of pasta. I adapted my Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta recipe (substituting what I had on hand) and created a One-Pot Bacon Pizza Pasta. Just as I stirred the last handful of cheese, pepperoni, and crispy bacon into the pot, the front door opened and the crowd arrived.
The result was exactly what I hoped: a massive stockpot of tender pasta in an herb-forward tomato sauce that tasted like pizza—melted mozzarella, chewy pepperoni, and crunchy bacon throughout. The boys loved it and devoured the meal. Best of all, it was a one-pot dinner, so cleanup was minimal. I washed the pot, they loaded the dishwasher, and I got to relax for a bit—an all-around win.
This recipe yields a large pot of pasta, enough for a hungry family and perfect for scaling up. I tripled the batch for the group I fed, and leftovers keep and reheat well for up to four days.
One-Pot Bacon Pizza Pasta
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sliced bacon
- 1 onion peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove peeled and pressed or finely minced
- 1 can 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder preferably granulated onion
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder preferably granulated garlic
- 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 pound dry small shell rotini, shells, or elbow pasta
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 15 slices pepperoni cut into quarters
Instructions
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Stack the bacon strips and slice across the stack into 1/4-inch strips, creating thin bacon pieces. In a large stockpot over medium-low heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently. When the bacon is about halfway done, add the finely chopped onion and pressed or minced garlic. Continue to cook until the bacon is crispy and the onions are soft. Transfer the bacon, onions, and garlic to a paper towel–lined plate with a slotted spoon to drain. Pour off the excess bacon grease (reserve it in a jar if you like to use it later).
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In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, pizza sauce, beef broth, water, Italian seasonings, oregano, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour this mixture into the pot you used for the bacon and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring to combine. Once boiling, gently stir in the dry pasta, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Cook 10–12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the pasta doesn’t stick. When the pasta is tender, remove the pot from heat. Add the grated mozzarella, the crispy bacon, and the chopped pepperoni. Stir gently until the cheese has fully melted and the ingredients are evenly distributed. Serve hot with extra grated cheese if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients you use.
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