Creamy Leek and Bacon Pasta
Updated Nov 02, 2025, Published on Sep 29, 2024
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Indulge in a bowl of this Creamy Leek and Bacon Pasta featuring crispy bacon, sautéed leeks, shallots, and Gruyère cheese in a creamy sauce. This pasta recipe is perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner on a cooler fall or winter night!
This recipe only has 10 simple ingredients (including salt and pepper) so you can throw this together quickly any night of the week.
Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious pasta recipe!
Watch how to make it here!
What are leeks?
Leeks are a type of vegetable belonging to the allium family, which also includes onions, garlic, and shallots. They have a long, cylindrical shape with a white base that gradually transitions to green leaves. Leeks are a versatile ingredient and taste best when they are cooked - such as sautéed in this pasta!
Substitute for leeks
Leeks work the best for this recipe, but the best substitute for leeks are thinly sliced yellow onions.
This recipe already includes shallots, but you could thinly slice up some extra shallots in place of the leeks if you can't find them.
Recipe Tip
Dirt and grit is often trapped between the layers in leeks. Thinly slice the leeks then rinse the slices in water, swishing them around to remove any trapped dirt before using them in your dish.
What ingredients do I need to make this creamy leek and bacon pasta?
- 4 strips Bacon, reserve about 1 tbsp of bacon fat for cooking
- 2 Leeks, light green and white portion only
- 1 small Shallot, chopped
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, more to taste and serve
- 1/4 cup White Wine, or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Pasta, I used mezze rigatoni; reserve 1 cup pasta water
- 1/4 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded; more to serve
- Fresh Parsley, optional to serve
How do I make this creamy leek and bacon pasta?
- Cut the uncooked bacon crosswise into 1-inch wide strips to create lardons. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons to the pan in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes.
- While the bacon cooks, prepare the leeks. Trim off the dark green tops and root ends, keeping the white and light green parts. Slice the leeks thinly into rounds, or for smaller pieces, first cut the leeks lengthwise, then slice into half-moons. Rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or grit, and set aside.
- Once the bacon is cooked, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove the bacon fat, but leave about 1 tbsp in the pan.
- In the same skillet with the reserved bacon fat, add the sliced leeks and chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened and beginning to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine or broth to deglaze the pan. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has mostly absorbed.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the cooked pasta and shredded gruyere cheese to the skillet with the cream sauce. Toss until well combined and the cheese is melted. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Divide among bowls to serve. Top with the reserved crispy bacon. Serve with fresh parsley, additional gruyere cheese, and black pepper as desired.
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Creamy Leek and Bacon Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 strips Bacon, reserve about 1 tbsp of bacon fat for cooking
- 2 Leeks, light green and white portion only
- 1 small Shallot, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, more to taste and serve
- 1/4 cup White Wine, or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Pasta, I used mezze rigatoni; reserve 1 cup pasta water
- 1/4 cup Gruyère Cheese, shredded; more to serve
- Fresh Parsley, optional to serve
Instructions
- Cut the uncooked bacon crosswise into 1-inch wide strips to create lardons. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons to the pan in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes.4 strips Bacon
- While the bacon cooks, prepare the leeks. Trim off the dark green tops and root ends, keeping the white and light green parts. Slice the leeks thinly into rounds, or for smaller pieces, first cut the leeks lengthwise, then slice into half-moons. Rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or grit, and set aside.
- Once the bacon is cooked, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove the bacon fat, but leave about 1 tbsp in the pan.
- In the same skillet with the reserved bacon fat, add the sliced leeks and chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened and beginning to brown, about 5-7 minutes.2 Leeks, 1 small Shallot, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pour in the white wine or broth to deglaze the pan. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has mostly absorbed.1/4 cup White Wine
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the cooked pasta and shredded gruyere cheese to the skillet with the cream sauce. Toss until well combined and the cheese is melted. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.8 oz Pasta, 1/4 cup Gruyère Cheese
- Divide among bowls to serve. Top with the reserved crispy bacon. Serve with fresh parsley, additional gruyere cheese, and black pepper as desired.Fresh Parsley
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
