Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Cheese (Pâtes aux Lardons et Comté)

Creamy pasta with bacon lardons ingredients

• Rigatoni pasta: You need this giant, tubular pasta as a vehicle for the creamy, cheesy béchamel sauce. It is going to fill up those noodles so you'll get sauce in every bite. Use a good pasta brand, I like DeCecco which you can find at most grocery stores. You don't want a cheap, low quality noodle to just fall apart in the sauce and ruin everything!
• Comté cheese: Comte is a French cheese made from unpasturized cow's milk. It is an excellent melting cheese. If you can't find comté cheese, gruyere is a good substitute.
• Bacon: Use a smoky, thick-cut bacon, more like lardons in size.
• Flour, butter, whole milk, smoked paprika, salt: This is our béchamel sauce, the creamy base that will combine with the melty cheese and get into every nook and cranny of the pasta.

How to make creamy pasta with bacon and cheese

This creamy pasta with bacon recipe is rustic, homey and comforting, and I love to bake it and serve it in my Lodge cast-iron cookware. Either the 12-inch cast-iron skillet, or I've also made individual portions in these cute cast-iron mini servers. 

Step 1: Grate the cheese and cook the bacon

Grate the comté cheese and set aside.

Cook bacon, allow it to cool, break into large pieces the size of lardons and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the pasta

Fill a large, deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water and add rigatoni. Cook to al dente according to package instructions.

Step 3: Make the béchamel sauce

Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce. In the microwave or in a sauce pan over low heat warm the milk slightly. You're just taking the chill off, not bringing it to a simmer.

In a separate sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Then mix the flour into the butter, and as soon as it starts to bubble, begin whisking constantly for about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Once all milk is incorporated, bring it to a low boil and continue to whisk occasionally as it thickens, about 4 - 5 minutes.

Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the salt and paprika.

Step 4: Drain the pasta

Once the pasta is al dente, drain quickly in a colander and immediately return to the same pot. You'll want some of the pasta water still clinging to the noodles so the starches will help the sauce stick to them.

Step 5: Combine pasta, béchamel, bacon, and cheese

Add the béchamel sauce to the noodles and incorporate thoroughly.

Then add 1 ¾ cups of the cheese and incorporate.

And finally add about ¾ of the bacon and mix together.

Transfer the pasta to a cast-iron skillet or an oven-proof baking dish.

Top with remaining bacon, then add the remaining comté cheese in an even layer on top.

Step 6: Place under the broiler to melt the cheese

Place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and starts to turn golden brown. Comté is a very sturdy cheese and it will stand up to a fair amount of heat before it starts to turn golden brown.

But as always, when broiling, be sure to leave the oven door cracked and keep a close eye on it so you don't burn it. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Et voila! A creamy bacon pasta recipe straight from Paris!

Creamy pasta with bacon tips and substitutions

• For this recipe, I cooked the bacon in the microwave. It's just going to get mixed into creamy pasta, so there is no sense in laboring over a hot skillet. If cooking it in the microwave is good enough for Jaques Pepin, it's good enough for me!
• You have to use the big rigatoni noodles, and a quality brand. I tried this with a smaller-width, generic brand noodle and it just wasn't good. I found De Cecco Rigatoni no. 24 worked perfectly and seemed exactly like what I had in Paris.
• Even though it is supposed to be a Mother Sauce, with what I thought would be one true formula, there are as many recipes for béchamel as there are types of French cheese. (probably.) I used one from David Lebovitz and found it to be the perfect texture and thickness for this creamy baked pasta recipe. I added a bit of smoked paprika to complement the smokiness of the bacon, instead of using cayenne. This is a double batch of béchamel. It will seem like a lot. I didn't think I'd use it all, but I did. If you have some left over, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
• If you can't find comté cheese, use gruyère instead.
• If you can find good quality French ham, by all means use it instead of the bacon. Probably about 4 slices will do.

What to serve with creamy pasta with bacon

You don't need much with this hearty, creamy pasta with bacon, but you might want to start with a salad.

• A Fennel Apple Salad would be the perfect winter vibe and provide some great crunch for a contrasting texture.
• A Tricolore Salad is technically Italian, but the bitter chicories would still be a pleasant pairing.

Keep it super French and serve one of these for dessert:

• Believe it or not, Chocolate Mousse is very easy to make and since it must be made ahead, it's already ready already after dinner! And this one has booze in it!
• French-Style Hot Chocolate is the polar opposite of that stuff in the packet. Thick, rich, and made with just two ingredients.

More pasta recipes

Try these on for more decadent pasta ideas.

• Curly cavatappi noodles make this Baked Pasta with Goat Cheese, Radicchio, and Caramelized Red Onion the most sophisticated adult mac 'n' cheese.
• Use oven ready noodles and Butternut Squash Lasagna becomes a cinch!
• Can you get any more indulgent than Red Wine Spaghetti? How romantic!

Recommended tools and equipment

• Stock pot: For boiling the pasta.
• Medium sauce pan: To make the creamy béchamel sauce.
• Box grater: For the cheese.
• Ovenproof skillet: To bake/broil the pasta before serving. I love a cast iron skillet for this, but any ovenproof skillet will work.

This creamy pasta with bacon is easy to make and oh-so-French! (Yes, FRENCH!)

• Who knew this much flavor could come from just 8 ingredients!
• A béchamel sauce forms the creamy base of the pasta.
• Quick prep: Just grate some cheese and whisk up a sauce.
• Comté is one of the Frenchiest French cheeses ever.
• The sauce cooks while the pasta boils, so it's ready in about 30 minutes!
• Serve straight from the pan for easy cleanup.