Creamy Sausage Pasta with Bacon

Posted by Boss Hog - Credit: Kitchensanctuary.com on Sep 29th 2022

A simple and popular family dinner, this creamy, cheesy pasta with sausage and crispy bacon will be a hit with any bacon and pasta lovers. This fantastic comfort food dinner is made with simple everyday ingredients.  You can add mushrooms, peppers and peas to step 6 along with the onion depending on your preference.

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Pasta - use your favorite type of pasta. Fusilli is pictured here, but  rigatoni or penne also work great.
• Four Sausage links, slice them into nice chunky pieces.
• 8 strips of quality Bacon - remember this, along with the sausage, will be the star of the show
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese- a nice strong cheddar for the best flavor.
• 3/4 cup heavy cream for a delicious rich, sauce.
• 1 Onion - Fry the onions in the bacon fat. Because we are bacon freaks and that's what it's for.
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Place the sausages on a baking sheet and place in the oven to cook for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Then remove from the oven and place on a chopping board.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water as per the cooking instructions, until al dente, then drain in a colander, reserving about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
4. While the pasta and sausages are cooking; fry the bacon for about 5-6 minutes, turning during cooking, until browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a chopping board.
5. Add the tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat that’s already in the frying pan.
6. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened.
7. By now the pasta should be ready (remember to save a cup of the pasta water when draining the pasta). Add the drained pasta to the frying pan with the onion.
8. Add the cheese, cream and pepper to the pan and stir together with the pasta until the cheese has melted.
9. Slice the cooked sausages and bacon on the chopping board and add to the pan with the pasta.
10. Stir everything together.
11. If you want the sauce thinner, add splashes of the pasta cooking water until the sauce is to your liking.
12. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve topped with fresh parsley and a little more black pepper if you like.