Creamy Pasta With Potatoes & Bacon
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4 portions
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Calories
844 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Creamy Pasta With Potatoes & Bacon
Description
This recipe starts by sautéing diced onions, carrots, and basil in olive oil until soft, then adding diced pancetta to achieve a golden color. Medium-diced potatoes are added and cooked briefly before simmering in vegetable broth until softened. The potatoes are then roughly mashed to release starches, creating a base for a creamy sauce enriched with a splash of white wine. Cooked al dente pasta is folded into this mixture along with reserved pasta cooking water and grated Parmesan cheese, which emulsifies to form a smooth, creamy coating on the pasta.
The dish balances the softness of potatoes and pasta, the savory crispness of pancetta, and herbal notes from basil. The white wine deglazes and adds aromatic depth, while the Parmesan ties the flavors and textures together into a cohesive creamy finish.
Serve this pasta as a main course for a filling meal. Its combination of starches and proteins makes it substantial, requiring no additional sides. The recipe's flavor comes from the interplay of vegetables, cured meats, and cheese rather than heavy cream.
As a tip, saving pasta cooking water is essential to adjust sauce consistency. Choose starchy potatoes for better mashing and creaminess. Keeping pasta al dente preserves texture through the mixing process. Using authentic Parmesan cheese and even saving and using the rind for cooking liquid can deepen flavor if desired.
Ingredients
- 5 potato medium-sized
- 1 onion diced
- carrot half, diced
- 200 g pancetta 1 Cup, or bacon
- 2 Cups vegetable broth
- 5 basil leaves
- 1/2 white wine glass of
- 500 g pasta 4-5 Cups depending on which pasta, any type
- Parmesan Cheese grated, about 1/2 cup
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- First peel the potatoes and dice them, and slice up the carrots and onion.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and basil and let them soften. At this point add a pinch of salt & pepper too.
- Add the diced bacon and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the bacon is golden.
- Add the potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to the boil then simmer slowly.
- When the potatoes have softened, mash them with a fork, then add the white wine and bring to the boil then let it simmer. The potatoes don't need to be mashed 100%, but just roughly.
- In another pot cook the pasta with a pinch of salt.
- Add the pasta once it's al dente into your pan containing all the other ingredients. Mix well. Tip: Save one glass of the water you used to cook the pasta in.
- Add the glass of pasta water and parmesan cheese and mix everything together. This will create an amazing cream.
- Pasta is ready!
Notes
- Save a cup of the pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
- Use starchy potatoes to achieve a creamier texture when mashed.
- Cook the pasta to al dente to maintain texture when combined with the sauce.
- If using authentic Parmesan, add the rind to the broth during cooking to enhance flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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