Pasta with Bacon and Cheese Sauce

This bacon pasta recipe is an easier, cheesier take on Pasta Carbonara. Rather than a sauce made with eggs and cheese, this pasta dish has a basic béchamel sauce with cheese (also known as a Mornay sauce), which coats every strand of spaghetti deliciously. And the sauce has a secret ingredient: pasta water - the starchy liquid works as a binder and a thickener.

8 oz bacon end strips, or regular bacon, cut into ½" pieces (1¼ cups)
1 small onion, chopped (1½ cups)
4 large cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 lb spaghetti
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ cup whole milk
8 oz mixed melting cheeses, such as Gruyère, Monterey Jack and fontina, freshly grated

Garnish:
fresh thyme leaves
black pepper, freshly ground

Cook bacon, onion and garlic in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped thyme. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, about 2 minutes less than according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta water.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour; cook until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and ½ cup pasta water until smooth. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheeses.

Return skillet to medium-high heat; add ½ cup pasta water and cook, scraping up browned bits, about 1-2 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti and cheese sauce. Stir, adding remaining pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, until the sauce is creamy and evenly coats pasta. Taste and season as needed.

Serve, sprinkled with pepper and thyme leaves.

Makes 4 servings.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Why do you salt the water for pasta? Salting the water is the foundation of any pasta dish. Without salt in the cooking water, pasta tastes bland, so generously salting the pasta water is a vital step in making good pasta.
• Should you rinse pasta after cooking? No. Rinsing cooked pasta removes the starchy film on the noodles that helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
• What is Italian Carbonara sauce made of? Carbonara is made with guanciale or pancetta, two types of Italian cured pork that are similar to bacon. Americanized versions of the dish often call for bacon. In addition to the meat, the sauce is made with egg yolks, cream and Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.