THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

Creamy Beef Bacon Pasta

One shared bacon cook, two pasta pots, and different sauce finishes.

YIELD6 servings
TOTAL TIME30 min
COOK METHODSee method
EST. / SERVINGSee nutrition notes
KEY TO SUCCESS: DICE BACON FIRST. 20 slices Godshall's stacked + cross-cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Faster than slicing one by one. Diced bacon renders faster + distributes evenly across the dish.

Ingredients

PROTEIN

  • 2 packs Godshall's Beef Bacon (20 slices total, 10 oz × 2)

ADULT PASTA

  • 4 servings dry Carbe Diem Penne (~8 oz dry — adult pot)

ADULT FINISH

  • ~70% of the rendered bacon crumble (kid pot gets the other ~30%)
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • Cracked black pepper

Option 2

  • 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (Barilla classic or any familiar penne, ~4 oz dry — kid pot)
  • ~3/4 cup Rao's Homemade Alfredo (straight from the jar — NOT the blended sauce)
  • ~30% of the rendered bacon crumble (the rest is for adults)
  • (NO blended sauce, NO parsley)

ADULT BLENDED SAUCE

  • 1 container (16 oz) Daisy Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
  • 4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Spreadable Cheese
  • 3 servings (~3/4 cup) Rao's Homemade Alfredo (for the blend)
  • 1/2 cup Kirkland Organic Chicken Sipping Bone Broth (half a portion)

Option 1

  • 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (Barilla classic or any familiar penne, ~4 oz dry — kid pot)
  • ~3/4 cup Rao's Homemade Alfredo (straight from the jar — NOT the blended sauce)
  • ~30% of the rendered bacon crumble (the rest is for adults)
  • (NO blended sauce, NO parsley)

Option 3

  • 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (Barilla classic or any familiar penne, ~4 oz dry — kid pot)
  • ~3/4 cup Rao's Homemade Alfredo (straight from the jar — NOT the blended sauce)
  • ~30% of the rendered bacon crumble (the rest is for adults)
  • (NO blended sauce, NO parsley)

Allergens: dairy, gluten.

AT THE PASTA POTS. Two pots cook simultaneously (Carbe Diem for adults, regular wheat penne for kids). The bacon is cooked once, then split — ~70% into the adult pot, ~30% into the kid pot. The blended sauce goes ONLY into the adult pot. The kid pot gets plain Rao's Alfredo straight from the jar + their bacon share. Bacon is on BOTH plates; the split-cook lever is the sauce + the pasta.

Method

Shared base

  1. 1.PREP. Dice 20 slices Godshall's Beef Bacon (stack + cross-cut into 1/2-inch pieces). Set two pots of salted water to boil. Chop a small handful of parsley for the adult plate.
  2. 2.RENDER BACON. Diced bacon into a wide skillet over medium-high heat. 6-8 min until crisp. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl. Discard most of the rendered fat (reserve 1 tbsp in the pan if you want).
  3. 3.BLEND THE ADULT SAUCE (cold/warm, NOT hot). Food processor — full tub Daisy cottage cheese + 4 Laughing Cow Light wedges + 3 servings (~3/4 cup) Rao's Alfredo + 1/2 cup Kirkland bone broth. Blend 60 sec until completely smooth.
  4. 4.COOK TWO PASTAS SIMULTANEOUSLY. Pot 1: 4 servings dry Carbe Diem Penne (adult, ~8 oz dry). Pot 2: 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (kid, ~4 oz dry). Both 9-10 min al dente.

Adult — Carbe Diem + Blended Sauce + Beef Bacon

  1. 5.ADULT BUILD. Drained Carbe Diem back into its pot OFF heat. Pour in the blended sauce. Return to LOW heat. Stir 60 sec — should coat the back of a spoon, not slide off. Fold in ~70% of the crispy bacon (save ~30% for the kid pot).
  2. 6.PLATE ADULT. Wide bowl. Generous scoop. Sprinkle chopped parsley + cracked black pepper.

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon · Option 1

  1. 5.KID POT. Drained regular penne back into its pot OFF heat. Stir in ~3/4 cup Rao's Alfredo straight from the jar. Fold in the kid's share of the bacon (~30% of the rendered crumble — leave the pieces a touch larger if the kid prefers visible bacon).
  2. 6.PLATE KID. Smaller bowl or plate. Penne + Alfredo + visible bacon chunks. No parsley, no blended sauce.

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon · Option 2

  1. 5.Skip the Alfredo entirely. Toss the drained penne with 1 tbsp butter + a pinch of salt + 1 tbsp grated Parmesan + the kid's bacon share. Universal plain-pasta-plus-bacon override.

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon · Option 3

  1. 5.Toss kid pasta with plain Rao's only (no bacon mixed in). Plate the bacon share in a small ramekin alongside the pasta — visible-separate option for kids who eat one thing at a time.

SPLIT PLATE SERVING

Adult — Carbe Diem + Blended Sauce + Beef Bacon: Serve the adult portion as described above.

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon: Serve the kid portion as described above.

Keys to success

  • RENDER CRISPY, THEN DRAIN. Medium-high heat in a wide skillet, 6-8 min until crisp. Pour into a strainer over a bowl. Reserve ~1 tbsp rendered fat in the pan (everything else: discard).
  • BLEND COLD/WARM, NOT HOT. In a food processor: full tub Daisy cottage cheese + 4 Laughing Cow Light wedges + 3 servings (~3/4 cup) Rao's Alfredo + 1/2 cup Kirkland bone broth. Blend until completely smooth, 60 sec. If thick, add 2 tbsp more broth.

If something fails

Sauce broke / went grainy: You blended it hot or added it to a hot pan over high heat. Cottage cheese curdles past a gentle simmer. Blend cold/warm in the processor first; combine with pasta over LOW heat only. If broken: blend in 1 tbsp cream cheese + 1 tbsp warm bone broth to re-emulsify.

Sauce is oily / glossy in the wrong way: You skipped the bacon-fat drain. Spoon visible fat off the top + stir in 1 tbsp Laughing Cow to re-emulsify. Next time: drain the strainer, reserve only 1 tbsp fat.

Kid wouldn't touch the Carbe Diem: Most kids reject protein pasta on first sight. Use regular wheat penne for kids — Barilla mini penne, Ronzoni, whatever's familiar. Cook in a separate pot.

Adult sauce too thin / drowns the pasta: Blender liquid ratio off. Add 1 more Laughing Cow wedge + blend; or stir in 2 tbsp grated Parmesan on the stove over LOW heat (don't boil).

Pasta dried out by day 2-3 of leftovers: Carbe Diem absorbs sauce overnight more aggressively than wheat pasta. Reheat with a splash of bone broth (2 tbsp per portion), microwave covered 90 sec, stir, 30 more sec.

How should I track this recipe?: Nutrition needs recalculation using the actual labels and measured adult and kid allocations. Record the bacon fat retained rather than relying on the previous mixed-batch estimate.

Storage and reheating

Store: 6 containers, fridge. Pete's-style protein pastas absorb sauce overnight — same here for Carbe Diem. Store with a spoonful of extra sauce or 1 tbsp bone broth on top of each portion to preserve creaminess.

Reheat: Microwave covered 90 sec + a 2 tbsp splash of chicken bone broth or water to loosen, stir, 30 more sec. Skip the broth splash and the dish goes chalky by day 3. Stovetop reheat (low heat + bone broth splash + stir) preserves texture best — microwave is acceptable.

Lasts: 3-4 days in the fridge. The kid pasta (plain wheat + Rao's) holds 2-3 days; Carbe Diem + blended sauce holds 4 days as long as bacon fat was drained. Freezes OK 2 months but Carbe Diem texture softens slightly after thaw; best fresh through day 3.

Estimated nutrition

Nutrition is under review. Earlier totals mixed adult and kid pasta and sauce allocations and used conflicting package quantities. No verified calories, protein, total carbs, fiber or net carbs are published for this recipe. Recalculate from the actual package labels, cooked portions and retained bacon fat at the next cook; kid portions remain appetite-based.

thesplitplate.com/recipes/creamy-beef-bacon-pasta

Creamy Beef Bacon Pasta
Split Cook Method™Core SignaturesThe Comfort Pasta That Doesn't Look Like Diet Food

Creamy Beef Bacon Pasta

By Tushar Sharma

One shared bacon cook, two pasta pots, and different sauce finishes.

Make this when

You want creamy beef bacon pasta with two pasta and sauce paths from one shared cook. Adults get Carbe Diem penne with blended Alfredo; kids get regular penne with plain Alfredo and their share of the bacon.

Total time
30 min
Yield
6 servings
Cost / serving
$4.50
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy, gluten

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

Adjust servings

Ingredients

Nutrition is under review. Use the original six-portion batch below; adult and kid nutrition will be recalculated from package labels and measured portions at the next cook.

Batch cookYields 6 servings — quantities below are the full batch.

PROTEIN

ADULT BLENDED SAUCE

ADULT PASTA

ADULT FINISH

KID PASTA

KID FINISH

Method

Split point

AT THE PASTA POTS. Two pots cook simultaneously (Carbe Diem for adults, regular wheat penne for kids). The bacon is cooked once, then split — ~70% into the adult pot, ~30% into the kid pot. The blended sauce goes ONLY into the adult pot. The kid pot gets plain Rao's Alfredo straight from the jar + their bacon share. Bacon is on BOTH plates; the split-cook lever is the sauce + the pasta.

4 adult servings Carbe Diem (blended sauce + ~70% of the bacon) / 2 kid servings regular penne (plain Rao's + ~30% of the bacon, no blend, no parsley).

Shared base

Cook once — this part works for everyone.

  1. 1
    PREP

    Dice 20 slices Godshall's Beef Bacon (stack + cross-cut into 1/2-inch pieces). Set two pots of salted water to boil. Chop a small handful of parsley for the adult plate.

  2. 2
    RENDER BACON

    Diced bacon into a wide skillet over medium-high heat. 6-8 min until crisp. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl. Discard most of the rendered fat (reserve 1 tbsp in the pan if you want).

  3. 3

    BLEND THE ADULT SAUCE (cold/warm, NOT hot): Food processor — full tub Daisy cottage cheese + 4 Laughing Cow Light wedges + 3 servings (~3/4 cup) Rao's Alfredo + 1/2 cup Kirkland bone broth. Blend 60 sec until completely smooth.

  4. 4

    COOK TWO PASTAS SIMULTANEOUSLY: Pot 1: 4 servings dry Carbe Diem Penne (adult, ~8 oz dry). Pot 2: 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (kid, ~4 oz dry). Both 9-10 min al dente.

Adult — Carbe Diem + Blended Sauce + Beef Bacon

  1. 5
    ADULT BUILD

    Drained Carbe Diem back into its pot OFF heat. Pour in the blended sauce. Return to LOW heat. Stir 60 sec — should coat the back of a spoon, not slide off. Fold in ~70% of the crispy bacon (save ~30% for the kid pot).

  2. 6
    PLATE ADULT

    Wide bowl. Generous scoop. Sprinkle chopped parsley + cracked black pepper.

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon

  1. 5
    KID POT

    Drained regular penne back into its pot OFF heat. Stir in ~3/4 cup Rao's Alfredo straight from the jar. Fold in the kid's share of the bacon (~30% of the rendered crumble — leave the pieces a touch larger if the kid prefers visible bacon).

  2. 6
    PLATE KID

    Smaller bowl or plate. Penne + Alfredo + visible bacon chunks. No parsley, no blended sauce.

Adult plate | Kid plate

4 adult servings Carbe Diem (blended sauce + ~70% of the bacon) / 2 kid servings regular penne (plain Rao's + ~30% of the bacon, no blend, no parsley).

Adult plate

Adult — Carbe Diem + Blended Sauce + Beef Bacon

Macros not published for this plate — portion it to their appetite.

What makes it different

  • 4 servings dry Carbe Diem Penne (~8 oz dry — adult pot)
  • ~70% of the rendered bacon crumble (kid pot gets the other ~30%)
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • Cracked black pepper
Kid plate

Kid — Regular Penne + Plain Alfredo + Bacon

Macros not published for this plate — portion it to their appetite.

What makes it different

  • 2 servings dry regular wheat penne (Barilla classic or any familiar penne, ~4 oz dry — kid pot)
  • ~3/4 cup Rao's Homemade Alfredo (straight from the jar — NOT the blended sauce)
  • ~30% of the rendered bacon crumble (the rest is for adults)
  • (NO blended sauce, NO parsley)

Three keys to success

  1. 1DICE BACON FIRST. 20 slices Godshall's stacked + cross-cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Faster than slicing one by one. Diced bacon renders faster + distributes evenly across the dish.
  2. 2RENDER CRISPY, THEN DRAIN. Medium-high heat in a wide skillet, 6-8 min until crisp. Pour into a strainer over a bowl. Reserve ~1 tbsp rendered fat in the pan (everything else: discard).
  3. 3BLEND COLD/WARM, NOT HOT. In a food processor: full tub Daisy cottage cheese + 4 Laughing Cow Light wedges + 3 servings (~3/4 cup) Rao's Alfredo + 1/2 cup Kirkland bone broth. Blend until completely smooth, 60 sec. If thick, add 2 tbsp more broth.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: 6 containers, fridge. Pete's-style protein pastas absorb sauce overnight — same here for Carbe Diem. Store with a spoonful of extra sauce or 1 tbsp bone broth on top of each portion to preserve creaminess.

Reheat: Microwave covered 90 sec + a 2 tbsp splash of chicken bone broth or water to loosen, stir, 30 more sec. Skip the broth splash and the dish goes chalky by day 3. Stovetop reheat (low heat + bone broth splash + stir) preserves texture best — microwave is acceptable.

Lasts: 3-4 days in the fridge. The kid pasta (plain wheat + Rao's) holds 2-3 days; Carbe Diem + blended sauce holds 4 days as long as bacon fat was drained. Freezes OK 2 months but Carbe Diem texture softens slightly after thaw; best fresh through day 3.

Brands I use

Godshall's
Godshall's
Real Wood Smoked Cured Beef Bacon Plates Sliced (10 oz / ~10 slices, buy 2 packs = 20 slices)
Beef-belly cured + naturally wood-smoked the same way as pork bacon — crispy edges, real meaty flavor. Nutrition depends on the package used. The unlock for pork-free households who still want bacon pasta. Cross-recipe candidate.
Carbe Diem
Carbe Diem
Penne (12 oz / 340g box — check the used package label for nutrition)
100% wheat-based but with vital wheat gluten added back + modified wheat starch for fiber — 55% less net carbs than leading penne, plus higher protein. The macro lever that lets the dish carry full-fat Rao's Alfredo in the blend. DO NOT sub regular wheat penne on the adult side; the carb budget breaks.
Daisy
Daisy
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese (16 oz tub — 1 container per recipe batch)
The Alfredo dilution lever — full tub blends into a creamy base that drops the sauce's per-serving calories without losing the cream feel. Cross-recipe with id 2 (tri-tip penne), id 30 (steak noodles), id 33 (buffalo wings crema).
Laughing Cow
Laughing Cow
Light Spreadable Cheese Wedges (4 wedges per original batch)
Adds creaminess + emulsifies the cottage-cheese blend without the fat cost of cream cheese. Cross-recipe with id 39 (pork chops cowboy butter).
Rao's
Rao's
Homemade Alfredo Sauce (15 oz jar — used in BOTH the adult blend AND the kid plain pasta)
Real cream + Parmesan + butter, no flour thickener. 3 servings (~3/4 cup) go into the adult blend; another 3/4 cup goes straight onto the kid pasta. One jar serves both lanes. Cross-recipe with id 36 (sausage spinach pasta), id 1 (gnocchi).
Kirkland Signature
Kirkland Signature
Organic Chicken Sipping Bone Broth (8.45 fl oz pouches — use half a pouch for the blend)
Bone broth in the blender thins the sauce so it coats without drowning, plus loosens the blended sauce. Cross-recipe across rice bowls (id 24), stir-fries (id 4), steak noodles (id 30), pork lettuce wraps (id 38), pork chops (id 39).

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#pasta#beef-bacon#alfredo#split-cook#protein-pasta#meal-prep#weeknight#comfort#pork-free