Oh hey! I’m so happy you’re here to make a delicious honey mustard bacon pasta recipe with me today. The great news is that you can use any boxed pasta when you make this recipe, so it’s naturally pretty allergy friendly.
If you happen to be grain free or Paleo, with the right ingredient sourcing, you too can have a delicious honey mustard bacon pasta for lunch or dinner. I mean, you can eat it for breakfast as well because you know, I’m a big fan of serving anything at anytime, but I digress.
This recipe will be ready in 30 minutes or less, so long as you have two pots going at the same time. So, grab said pots and let’s get cooking.
Allergy Status (includes celery commonly found in bacon)
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar*, Carrot, Cinnamon, Citrus, Coconut, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Nightshade, Oat, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Rice, Squash & Gourd, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE
Compatible With: Corn Free
- Corn Free: This *can* be done, so long as you have the elbow grease. Get safe bacon from Keller (see if they still sell it) or North Star. Make the honey mustard yourself, and use a safe pasta.
- Grain Free & Paleo: Swap the sorghum flour for cassava flour. Make sure you purchase a bacon that meets your needs. You might need to make the mustard at home depending on what other dietary restrictions you may manage.
- *For cane/refined sugar free, use the right bacon for you. Additionally, your honey mustard will probably need to be homemade, or expensive and organic from a small brand to avoid added sugar.
Tools to Make This Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta Recipe
- Knife (this is my current fave knife series)
- Cutting Board
- Kitchen Scale
- Large Skillet OR Deep/Large Pan (I use a large deep skillet with high sides for ease)
- Pot (large enough to boil your pasta)
- Colander (to drain your cooked pasta)
- Cooking Spoon
Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta Recipe Video
Here’s a short video so you can see how this awesome gluten free pasta comes together.
Ingredients for This Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta Recipe
Part 1 Ingredients
- 4 TBSP Cooking Fat/Oil of Choice
- 300g Organic Red Onion, sliced (11 ounces)
Part 2 Ingredients
- 900g – 1.8KG Bacon Ends/Bacon Lardons of Choice
- 200g Fresh Spinach Leaves
Part 3 Ingredients
- 3 TBSP Sorghum Flour, superfine OR Brown Rice Flour, superfine
- 500mL Milk of Choice
- 400g Honey Mustard of Choice (I use this recipe from my RAISE Membership website)
- Optional: Organic Black Pepper to Taste
You’ll Also Need
- Cooked Pasta of Choice (aim for al dente)
Bacon Pasta Ingredients Notes
Salt: You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t call for salt, and that’s because there will be plenty of salt in your bacon. Now, if you happen to use a low salt bacon, or just really like salty food, try using smoked salt rather than sea salt, as it will help reinforce the smoky bacon flavor.
Red Onion: You can swap this for white onions, yellow onions, or even shallots. Just don’t use green onions, which are better for garnish.
Bacon of Choice: You can use any kind of bacon, including turkey bacon when you make this pasta recipe. However, you can also use organic chicken thighs, organic chicken breasts, rabbit saddle, or chopped pork fajita meat. The recipe is flexible enough that you can use a range of proteins, but I don’t suggest using ground meat for this pasta recipe.
Pasta of Choice: From penne to spaghetti to everything in between, any pasta shape will work in this honey mustard bacon pasta recipe.
Honey Mustard of Choice: I use a homemade honey mustard, however, you can use any kind that you like, so long as you like it. If your honey mustard lacks sweetness, add a little organic maple syrup when you add the honey mustard.
More Pasta Dishes to Enjoy
Whether you’re a fan of creamy pasta dishes or something tomato based, I’ve got you covered. These are all gluten free and allergy friendly recipes.
- Easy Mac and Cheese with Mushrooms
- Vegan Black Bean Pasta Recipe (such an easy pasta dish to make)
- Creamy Dairy Free Pasta Sauce (ready in under 30 mins)
- Sweet and Spicy Creamy Bacon Recipe (sooooo good if you love bacon)
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Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta Directions (With Pictures)
- Prep Time: 5 – 8 mins
- Total Cooking Time: 25 – 30 mins
Before starting, you will need a honey mustard. If you need to make the RAISE recipe, make it at least two days in advance. Fun fact: homemade mustard needs time to “cure” and set. If you make fresh legit mustard and try to use it right away, you will absolutely question ALL of your life’s choices.
If you’re using a dry pasta that needs to be cooked, start the cooking process first. This ensures that your pasta is done by the time you need it at the end. Make sure you salt the pasta water so it’s not bland and boring.
Slice your onion, and if needed, cut down your bacon ends. One of the benefits of bacon ends is the reduced costs. One of of the downsides of bacon is the inconsistent cuts. Alternatively, if you’re using traditional bacon slices, cut them into bite sized pieces (just slice across the strips of bacon).
Grab Your Pot!
Once your ingredients are ready, heat a deep/large pan (nonstick is ideal) on medium-high heat (7.5/10 for me). Add your cooking oil and once it’s hot, add the sliced onion. Mix well and cook for 8 – 10 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent burning/sticking.
Now, add the bacon and spinach (Part 2 Ingredients). You have a big weight range here because bacon ends vary wildly. If you want a seriously bacon-forward pasta, use the full amount. This is also good to do if you’re using a veg noodle that needs some support.
Mix everything together and cook for 15 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent burning/sticking.
If your bacon was excessively fatty and there’s loads of drippings, drain some off before proceeding.
Sprinkle the flour all over, then mix well. Now, add your milk and honey mustard (Part 3 Ingredients).
Mix together very well. As the milk heats a thick and creamy texture will form. Once the milk is in, cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring regularly. If your milk is evaporating too quickly, or your sauce is sticking quite a bit, turn the heat down to medium (5/10 for me).
After the 2-3 minutes, turn the heat off. If you’re using a cooked pasta, add it in and stir.
If you’re using a vegetable noodle (zoodles, daikon noodles, etc.), serve this creamy bacon honey mustard sauce on top. Do not mix in a vegetable noodle as it will throw off the texture and will no longer read as “pasta”.
That’s it! It’s time to enjoy 🙂
Leftover Pasta Storage
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, covered in an airtight container, for 5 days. Enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. Do not freeze your bacon pasta leftovers.
This honey mustard bacon pasta tastes best when warm/hot. To reheat, pull your leftovers from the refrigerator, place a portion in a small pot, and heat on medium heat. Add 1 – 2 ounces (30 – 60mL) of your milk to make mixing easier, and to bring a little life back into your pasta.
Once the pasta is hot, it’s ready to serve. It only takes a few minutes to reheat the leftovers.
More Ways to Enjoy Your Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta
Add Croutons
Croutons aren’t just for salads… hear me out. Overall, this honey mustard bacon pasta is a soft dish, and a lot of meals taste fabulous with added crunch or texture. Croutons would add a fantastic crunch. If you opt to add them, place several in a small baggie and give them a few hits with a meat mallet or rolling pin so you don’t have massive croutons, but little crunchy bits of goodness. Sprinkle that all over your pasta when serving.
Skip the Noodles and Make Salads
If you don’t have a safe pasta of choice, or simply don’t like pasta, make this honey mustard bacon pasta recipe, and skip the needed pasta. Wash, dry, and chop salad greens (organic romaine is BOMB) and pop those into a medium bowl so you have room to mix/toss.
Top with your pasta sauce, mix well, and enjoy. You could combine this with the croutons idea and really have a fantastic salad.
Another salad option is to make something like a chicken cutlet that’s been breaded and pan fried or cooked up in your air fryer. Cut it into bite sized pieces and serve on top of the salad greens and pasta sauce. Now it’s like comfort food meets weekday pasta dinner meets bistro salad. I’d call that honey mustard chicken bacon salad a HUGE win.
If you go the salad route, experiment with additional toppings such as quartered cherry tomatoes, a little shredded cheddar cheese, or even a little shredded gouda (Daiya makes a dairy free version of this in case you’re allergic to milk like one of my kids).
Answering Your Honey Mustard Bacon Pasta Questions
Can I use heavy cream instead of milk?
When you’re making this delicious pasta dish, I don’t suggest that swap. As is, this is already a pretty rich pasta dish. Heavy cream is going to push it further than it needs to go.
Now, swapping some of the milk for heavy cream isn’t the worst idea I’ve ever heard. I’d stick to the 15 – 20% range if you really want to include that in your pasta.
Will this pasta taste good with sugar free bacon?
Yes, you’ll still have a tasty pasta dish because of the natural sweetness in the honey mustard. If your bacon really isn’t bringing enough oomph to the table, you can add some spices or herbs with the Part 2 Ingredients. You’ll want to choose spices that don’t clash with the honey mustard.
Personally, I’d use organic smoked paprika, marjoram, and maybe a little bit of organic ground thyme (I wouldn’t use more than 1/2 tsp of this since it can be powerful and we don’t want to clash with the honey mustard).
Is there a particular type of honey mustard I should use when making this pasta recipe?
Not exactly… Don’t use anything like a creamy honey mustard dressing. This recipe needs you to use legit honey mustard, not a form of salad dressing. Now, in a pinch, you could use an organic brown mustard (this is the one that I use for recipe development) or organic yellow mustard and mix it with an organic honey you enjoy. I wouldn’t use a manuka honey or anything too powerful in taste. You’ll also want to be mindful of the sweetness of the honey and adjust your ratios as needed. The goal is to have a delicious one pot meal that doesn’t taste like dessert.
Take that mixture and use it in place of the honey mustard that I call for. This won’t be an end of the world situation if I’m being honest and you’ll get all the right notes of acid, sweetness, and of course, bacon.
Can I use chicken in place of the bacon?
Yes! You can use chicken in this pasta recipe in a few different ways, so let’s take a look.
Chicken Breast: You can dice raw chicken breasts into cubes and use that in place of the raw bacon that the recipe calls for. You can also use cooked chicken breast and fold it in at the end of cooking. If you go this route, it’s important to season the chicken well.
Chicken Thigh: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the bacon. Trim the excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook well, then fold in at the end of cooking. Alternatively, use your raw chicken in place of the raw bacon. Again, be sure to season the chicken well since it’s standing in for bacon.
Rotisserie Chicken: In a pinch, you can take your rotisserie chicken (seems like just about all grocery stores sell this?), shred it, and fold it into the pasta at the end of cooking for an easy lunch or dinner. Don’t cook this type of chicken in place of the raw bacon, as it will overcook an already pre-cooked item.
Seasoning Tips: Use organic smoked paprika (fun fact, this is bell pepper derived), alongside a little organic mushroom powder, liquid smoke (this is the brand that I use), smoked salt (this is a good brand), garlic, and onion. You want FLAVOUR, not a piece of chicken that whispers hello.
Could this be served as a cold pasta salad?
Maybe. Anytime you have a creamy sauce, I think it could go either way. I’d almost rather tell you to make a delicious potato salad, swap half the mayo for honey mustard, and add a bunch of bacon bits.
I think for this to be successful cold, your pasta needs to taste GREAT cold (since we have a wheat allergy in the home, I can tell you, not all gluten free pasta works as a pasta salad). Additionally, you might want to add extra honey mustard and a little more of milk to make sure it’s really creamy, like a potato salad.
You can see in the recipe picture that once the cooked pasta is added, it almost gets a little claggy, which isn’t a pasta salad if you ask me. Also, garnish with chopped fresh parsley so your pasta salad is a little more fancy.
Will spaghetti noodles work well in this kind of pasta recipe?
A long noodle like cooked spaghetti could work. Personally, I’d crack the dry spaghetti noodles in half before adding them to the boiling pasta cooking water. That can make the eating experience more enjoyable in the long run, and you’ll have a tasty honey mustard spaghetti situation on your dinner table.
