A creamy, smoky pasta built on crisp bacon, softened onions, tangy Alouette cheese, and a light silky sauce that clings beautifully to angel hair.
FEATURED STANDOUTS
Bacon
The primary flavor agent. Its slow rendering provides the essential fat for the sauce base and contributes crucial textural contrast as a crispy topping.
Angel Hair Pasta
Also known as capelli d’angelo, this thin, delicate pasta cooks rapidly and perfectly coats with the light, creamy sauce without becoming heavy.
Alouette Cheese
A soft, spreadable cheese often flavored with herbs and garlic. It’s the secret ingredient that introduces a complex, gourmet herbaceousness and a silky texture to the sauce.
Cream Cheese
Acts as a stabilizer and provides the foundational creaminess for the sauce, ensuring a rich mouthfeel. It must be fully softened for smooth incorporation.
Vegetable Stock
Used to thin the sauce to the perfect consistency while adding depth of flavor compared to using only water.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST BACON ,ANGEL HAIR & ALOUETTE
Render Bacon Slowly for Maximum Flavor
Begin the bacon in a cold pan over low heat. As the temperature gradually rises, the fat will melt out slowly and evenly, ensuring the bacon strips become perfectly crisp and release their deepest flavor into the pan, which will serve as the base for your sauce. Do not rush this step.
Use Hot Pasta Water to Thin the Sauce Without Breaking It
The starchy water reserved from cooking the pasta is a culinary secret. Adding it to the sauce helps to emulsify the fats and cheeses, creating a glossy, cohesive sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta. Start with a small ladleful and add more until the desired consistency is reached.
Whisk Constantly After Adding Flour to Avoid Lumps
If the recipe calls for flour as a thickening agent (to create a roux with the bacon fat), it must be whisked vigorously and continuously immediately after being added to the hot fat. Cook the flour for at least one minute to eliminate the raw flour taste before adding the liquid.
Ensure Cream Cheese is Softened for Smooth Incorporation
Cold cream cheese will clump and create a grainy sauce. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before beginning the recipe; this allows it to melt smoothly and integrate seamlessly with the other ingredients, resulting in a velvety finish.
Reserve Some Bacon for Topping to Keep Texture Crisp
For maximum contrast, remove a portion of the fully rendered, crispy bacon before adding any other ingredients to the pan. Roughly chop this reserved bacon and sprinkle it over the finished dish right before serving. This ensures a satisfying crunch in every bite.
Inclusive Adaptions
For Easier Prep
Reduce hands-on time by utilizing pre-cut ingredients. Use pre-diced bacon pieces or high-quality pre-diced onion and garlic (if included in the full recipe) to simplify the chopping and get the meal on the table faster.
Gluten-Free Swap
Easily convert the dish by replacing traditional angel hair pasta with a suitable gluten-free pasta option. Look for gluten-free capellini or angel hair made from rice, corn, or legumes, ensuring you follow its specific cooking time.
Lactose Sensitivity
For those with dairy concerns, swap out standard cream cheese for a lactose-free cream cheese alternative. The Alouette cheese can often be replaced with a dairy-free cream cheese or a similar herb-flavored spread (check labels for lactose content).
Assisted Preparation
If sustained whisking is challenging due to hand or grip issues, replace whisking with silicone spatula stirring. A silicone spatula is often easier to grip and provides the necessary surface contact to scrape the bottom of the pan and prevent lumps from forming.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Saucepan
Whisk
Slotted spoon
Pasta pot
SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO
APPLE PIE JAM + PIE CRUST COOKIES
FROSTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
ENJOY THIS RECIPE WITH
VEGAN DOUBLE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE
BUTTERMILK CHEESECAKE BROWNIE BARS
ROCKY ROAD CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
Recipe
Bacon, angel hair and alouette
Ingredients
Method
- Cook Bacon: In a saucepan, cook the bacon for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Sauté Onion: Add the diced onion to the saucepan and sweat for 3 minutes.
- Remove Solids: Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon and onion mixture, setting it aside.
- Make a Roux: Add the flour to the remaining bacon fat and whisk it in.
- Whisk in Stock: Slowly whisk in the vegetable stock until the mixture is smooth.
- Add Cheeses: Whisk in the cream cheese and Alouette cheese until the sauce is fully blended.
- Adjust Consistency: Add the half-and-half to reach your desired sauce consistency.
- Combine Pasta: Stir in the reserved pasta water, then toss in the cooked angel hair pasta.
- Finish Dish: Return the bacon and onion mixture to the saucepan. Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste.