Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon

70 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Total Time
20 Mins
Yield
4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
By Ann Taylor Pittman
January 2010
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Treat yourself tonight! Indulge in this lightened version of the rich Italian pasta dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine
  • 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
  • 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 339
  • Fat 11.7g
  • Satfat 5g
  • Monofat 3.8g
  • Polyfat 0.7g
  • Protein 17.3g
  • Carbohydrate 38.4g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Cholesterol 22mg
  • Iron 0.5mg
  • Sodium 833mg
  • Calcium 291mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

Step 2

While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

Chef's Notes

When you're short on time and the ingredient list is short, make every ingredient the freshest and best you can find. A real wood-smoked bacon imparts lots of flavor: Applewood is mild and slightly sweet, while hardwood, such as hickory, is more assertive.

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Ratings & Reviews

jopalis
March 16, 2016
Thank you for making the dish as instructed... and then listing how you might change it in the future.  Very helpful!

Pinky3205's Review

rachdawn81
January 07, 2013
Husband and I enjoyed this very much. Followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exceptions of using dried parsley (didn't have any fresh) and adding about 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg to the sauce the way my best friend's Italian granny always made her Alfredo sauce. My sauce came out creamy and delicious and the pasta wasn't gummy at all. Hubby didn't even know it was light!

daneanp's Review

shaftermee
June 09, 2013
The whole family loved this and demanded a double batch next time for left-overs. What made everything go together quickly was that we had bacon for breakfast and saved some back for the recipe, so skipping that step with dinner really made this dish go together in about 5 minutes. I had no trouble with sticky pasta - heating the milk to hot before whisking in with the flour mixture may have made the difference. I whisked in the pasta water right after the cheese melted in, then dumped in the hot pasta. Tossed green salads completed the meal. This is a lovely treat and what DD called "excellent comfort food!"

Emalani's Review

Foodie25
February 14, 2015
This was just ok. When I was mixing it in the pan it seemed nice and creamy, but just a few minutes later it had that gluey consistency that can happen with you make a "cream" sauce with flour and milk. I might keep looking for another alfredo recipe.

Great Taste

Laurie18
June 01, 2015
I gave it three stars, because like another reviewer, my dish turned gluey pretty quickly. I will try using hot milk and a little extra liquid the next time. The bacon gave the dish a great flavor. I will definitely make this again. It was so easy and quick. My skinny husband added butter to his portion.

Delicious!

Lindsey07
December 27, 2015
My boys couldn't tell that this dish was low fat. The bacon gives it a unique taste. Great Sunday dinner.

Okay

Ivanilla9
July 27, 2016
This was just okay. I followed the recipe exactly and heeded tips from other reviewers - warmed the milk before adding it, rinsed the pasta after cooking, added peas  - but I was still disappointed. I LOVE bacon, but this dish tasted too greasy and bacony for me. You definitely have to have all your prep/ingredients measured out and ready to go as there is no time to do that while you're cooking, but now I'm left with a bunch of stuff to clean up and bacon grease in the back of my throat. 

Super easy

BarelyLit
November 06, 2016
I made this recipe exactly as written and although delicious, the consistency of the sauce did change from creamy, while I was mixing in the noodles. to gloppy even though I did dilute the cream sauce with starchy pasta water. I wish I had of read the reviews first and heated the milk before adding to the roux. I will try this recipe again and review it with this change at a later date.

rachdawn81's Review

Emalani
February 19, 2011
Great recipe!! My husband and I both loved it and it was super easy to make!!

MrsERHJr's Review

swa5340
April 09, 2013
I'm going to have to try this recipe again. I think it may taste a lot better if you use the ingredients listed and not try to use "like" ingredients. I can tell you that the fresh parsely would have made a world of difference as oppose to the dry parsley. Also, be careful when cooking your sauce. Mine evaporated really quickly so my noodles were sticky. I'll probably always use the bacon I have at home but the parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese should probably not be swapped out. Will review again when I have the right ingredients.