Give Any Pasta Dish A Smoky Upgrade With One Breakfast Staple

When it comes to tried-and-true pasta dishes, you can't beat a well-made carbonara. When you choose to use bacon instead of pancetta in your carbonara recipe, it adds a delicious smoky dimension; additionally, bacon can work well in a variety of pasta dishes. Consider adding it to your go-to quick and easy alfredo sauce recipe, where it's particularly good when it's served up with some chicken and broccoli. If you're looking for something delicious and super easy, bacon is a great way to take your favorite store-bought marinara sauce and elevate it into something that will definitely become a go-to staple.

The key to making the best out of this smoky upgrade is to cook the bacon separately, then chop it into small pieces before adding it to your sauce. In addition to adding an incredible depth of flavor, making sure your bacon is crispy brings a new dimension to the dish's texture as well.

Also? You may want to consider tossing your pasta in a few tablespoons of bacon grease before saucing. A little goes a long way, and as an added bonus, the incredible variety of flavored bacons that are on the market afford plenty of options for experimentation with this breakfast-meets-dinner creation.

Let's say you want to add bacon to your pasta, but don't know which type to pick. The good news is that you have options. You can't go wrong with a standard hickory-smoked bacon, but there's no need to stop there. Bacon brands are adding more fun flavors to their line-ups, and many are a great way to add even more variety to your dishes. 

For anyone who loves finding new ways to add a spicy kick to their meals, reach for a smoked jalapeño bacon or a Cajun-style bacon: Both are incredible in a marinara or Bolognese, and when it comes to carbonara and cheesy pastas, you should definitely try applewood smoked bacon. It's worth mentioning, too, that limited edition flavors are something that you should definitely keep an eye on. An apple cider-flavored bacon would be amazing with those same cheesy pastas, a garlic and rosemary bacon would work with a red sauce or even a vodka sauce. There's even some pumpkin spice bacon occasionally available: Add that to a pumpkin fettuccine or a creamy pumpkin penne with crispy sage and toasted pecans, and treat yourself to a fun fall meal.

There's one more breakfast staple that can also be used to upgrade countless pasta dishes. Use crumbled smoked breakfast sausage to replace ground beef in a Bolognese for an extra kick that won't be overpowered by the robust red sauce. Dinner just got more fun — thanks to breakfast.