I adore this quick and easy pesto pasta with crispy bacon - perfect for busy weeknights. Whip up the homemade pesto in your food processor and keep it in the fridge, and you'll be just minutes away from a delicious, flavour-packed bowl of pasta.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Homemade Pesto Pasta with Crispy Bacon
🕒 Ready In: 22 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 853
🥣 Main Ingredients: Basil, Parmesan, Olive Oil, Almonds, Pasta, Streaky Bacon
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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This is definitely one of my all-time favourite recipes. I love that pesto pasta is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious - and the kids always gobble it up!
I make a big batch of homemade pesto every few weeks and keep it in the fridge, knowing that a tasty dinner is just minutes away whenever I need it
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Quick to make pasta recipe.
- An easy mid week meal.
- Add cooked chicken, bacon or roasted vegetables.
🥘 Ingredients
My go to pesto recipe has only 6 ingredients, and takes just minutes to whip up in your food processor.
I've cut the cost of the pesto, by using almonds instead of pine nuts, which tend to be more expensive. You could use other nuts too, such as plain cashew nuts or even walnuts.
Garlic cloves - Garlic adds a sharp, aromatic kick that forms the flavourful base of the pesto.
Basil - Fresh basil leaves give the pesto its signature bright, herbal, and slightly sweet flavour.
Parmesan - Parmesan cheese brings a nutty, salty richness that rounds out the sauce.
Whole almonds - Whole almonds add a subtle crunch and a creamy, nutty depth when blended into the pesto.
Juice of half a lemon - Lemon juice brightens the pesto with a fresh, tangy zing.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Olive oil emulsifies the ingredients into a smooth, luscious sauce while adding fruity undertones.
Streaky Bacon Rashers - Crispy bacon adds smoky, salty, savoury notes that make the pasta extra indulgent.
Pasta of your choice to serve.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Replace the basil with rocket or parsley, or use a mixture of basil, rocket and parsley. Another frugal option is using kale instead of basil.
- Swap the nuts around depending what you have in.
- Use cheaper Grana Padano cheese rather than Parmesan if you're on a budget.
- To make the pesto pasta more creamy and decadent, stir in a couple of heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche. That's proper comfort food!
- Add leftover gammon to the recipe.
🥄 Equipment
A food processor or handheld blender is needed to make the pesto sauce. Store the pesto in a sealed jar or container in your fridge, it will keep for a couple of weeks. Alternatively, you can freeze the pesto.
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🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Weigh out the ingredients for the pesto.
Two: Put all of your pesto ingredients in a food processor and whiz up to a smooth paste-like consistency.
Three Cook your pasta until al dente and drain.
Four: Stir the pesto into the pasta and serve!
Top Tips
- Fry bacon until crispy for maximum flavour and texture.
- Reserve some pasta water to loosen the pesto into a silky sauce.
- Blend pesto just until smooth, keeping a little texture.
- Toss pasta with pesto off the heat to keep basil bright.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the pesto pasta in bowls with some extra Parmesan.
Garlic bread or focaccia is always welcomed by my hungry kids, and rocket salad is great too.
You could also serve it as a side dish with air fryer chicken breasts and roasted vegetables.
Storage
Store - Pesto will keep in an air tight jar or container in the fridge for up to 7 days. The pesto pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze - Pesto sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
❓ Frequently asked questions
No there is no need to heat the pesto prior to adding it to the pasta. Add the pesto straight onto drained pasta and it will warm in the residual heat.
1. Spread it on chicken or fish fillets, before grilling.
2. Spoon some into your favourite macaroni cheese recipe, before baking.
3. Dollop small spoonfuls onto homemade pizza (or shop bought pizza for that matter!).
4. Make pesto pinwheels or pesto focaccia.
5. Spread it onto bruschetta and top with cherry tomatoes and goats cheese, for a tasty appetiser.
6. Turn it into a dip by mixing it with mayonnaise. Great for dipping cucumber, carrot and celery sticks in.
7. Stir some through your scrambled eggs at breakfast, for a weekend treat!
Bacon gives a smoky, salty flavour, but you can omit it or substitute pancetta, lardons, or mushrooms if you prefer a different flavour or a meat‑free version.
😋Related recipes
Here are some more easy pasta recipes to try:
Tried it? Let me know what you think and rate it ⭐️ below. Tag me @effortlessf00d-I'd love to see! Don't forget to subscribe for more recipes.
Recipe
Easy Pesto Pasta with Bacon
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 Garlic cloves chopped
- 80 g Basil
- 70 g Parmesan
- 70 g Almonds
- ½ Lemon juice of
- 150 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- 350 g Pasta
Instructions
- Put the garlic, basil, Parmesan, almonds and lemon juice into a food processor bowl and whiz until smooth.2 Garlic cloves, 80 g Basil, 70 g Parmesan, 70 g Almonds, ½ Lemon
- Slowly add the olive oil down the funnel and pulse into the pesto. Spoon into a bowl and season with salt if needed.150 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- Grill the bacon rashers until crisp and chop them up into small bits.6 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook your chosen pasta according to instructions.350 g Pasta
- Drain the pasta, then spoon through enough pesto to coat the pasta (you'll have some leftover, which you can store in the fridge in a clean jar).
- Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the crispy bacon bits. Serve with extra Parmesan if you like things cheesy.
Jenni says
I love pesto! I’ve never made pesto pasta before though so will try it for lunch
Jenny says
We all love pesto with our pasta but I've never tried making it before - this sounds great!
Rachel says
This sounds delicious, I'm down to eat any pasta, any time. The best food.
Jenni says
This sounds so great! I will have to give it a go, we really should eat more pasta and pesto is so tasty.
Melanie williams says
This is such a win win for me and my family...we love pesto and also love pasta...this looks yummy x
Mellissa Williams says
I adore Pesto and now I have a nutribullet I may give it a go to make it. Looks delicious
Samantha Donnelly says
I love pesto and pasta together and have a recipe for a meal using sausage meat that my family love. I have never made my own pesto though
Hollie Burgess says
This looks so delicious I could eat it now and so handy to keep stored away too.
Rhian westbury says
I am a fan of pesto pasta and it's such a good idea to have a batch of pesto in the fridge so you can use it whenever you need a quick meal x
Liam | Whatthedadsaid says
Looks yummy and simple to make,i love a good pasta but I'm a bit up and down on pesto at times, seems like a good recipe to try
Playdays and Runways says
I have never thought about making a pesto pasta. Looks amazing
Rebecca Smith says
Pesto pasta is one of my most favourite meals ever! Such delicious flavour and super filling too.
Yeah Lifestyle says
My kids love Pasta with pesto in them and I often make them, your recipe looks so delicious especially with the addition of the bacon rashers. Would love to try your version of it.