How do we tackle the weekend? WITH CARBFACE BREAKFAST PASTA! That’s a technical term. I’m a wee bit in love with this here breakfast pasta… and I’m not sure if it’s because of the bacon, or the sauce, or the smooth beautiful ziti, or the CHEESE!!!, or the eggs. Or all of them in combination. SO. MUCH. YES.
This dish was inspired by a brunch I had a few months ago at Tasty and Sons, one of my favorite brunch places in Portland. If you have the chance, GO THERE. And get the chocolate potato doughnut. AND THE BREAKFAST PASTA! I don’t actually remember what their pasta is called or entails, but the idea has remained firmly lodged in my brain since then — so here we go.
This isn’t a super quick meal. Plan ahead. Key points here: pasta isn’t cooked ahead — it’s cooked IN THE TOMATO SAUCE. That means uber flavorful tomato-y pasta. YES. DO IT. (if you’re like “omg I’m in a hurry wtf” you can cook your pasta ahead of time… but a little piece of my heart will break. And you do NOT want to be responsible for that!).
What happens is simple: blend together some garlic, basil, and tomatoes. Plus some salt. You’ve already cooked the bacon into crispy little bits, removed them from the pan, and kept the bacon fat. DUH. Then you COOK THE TOMATO SAUCE! Instead of just letting it cook down alone, though, you put in the dry pasta with it. SO IT SOAKS UP THE GOODIES! Once the pasta is cooked, mix in the bacon, crack some eggs, cover it all in cheese, and BROIL. That part is quick. Broil until the eggs are set and the cheese is bubbly and browning. Maybe some of the noodles will get a bit crispy! IT’S ALL GOOD! Yum and yum.
Happy happy Friday! Make this tomorrow! This is totally a lounge-y weekend breakfast. Your stomach will thank me. xoxo
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into thin strips
- 30 oz. diced tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
- salt & pepper
- 8 oz. dry pasta (I used ziti)
- 2-4 eggs
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- In a 8" castiron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, but leave the fat behind. Set the bacon aside.
- In a blender, combine the tomatoes, garlic, and basil leaves. Blend until smooth, add ¼ tsp salt, and pour into the skillet with the bacon fat. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer, lower the heat, and add the dry pasta. Stir to coat.
- Let the tomato sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. This should take around 25 minutes. When the pasta is done, stir in the bacon, as well as salt & pepper for seasoning.
- Make divots in the pasta for the eggs, and crack one egg into each divot. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the entire thing, and broil on the top rack of the oven for 4-6 minutes. The eggs should be set, and the cheese should be bubbling and brown.
- Remove and eat immediately!
So much yes! I would eat the hell outta this for breakfast. There need to be more pasta-breakfasts in life anyway.
Haha! YES! Thanks, Cindy. We’ll have to go to Tasty & Sons sometime and eat the hell outta their breakfast pasta! xo
Hi Mary. My kids will love you for this!
I love this! This dish is so popular right now! I made a version of it while camping and since then we’ve made it two or three times for breakfast! Granted we’re doing it without the pasta for simplicity’s sake, but still- so delicious! Also- YES TO CRIPSY NOODLES. That is all <3
Yaay! Thanks, Sarah! CRISPY NOODLES FO LYFE! xo
The only problem I had was trying to get this into my 6″ skillet. Are you sure it wasn’t supposed to be 10″
I just measured, and it is actually an 8″ skillet! Whoops! For some reason I was sure it was 6″ … Sorry! I hope you enjoyed it anyways! xo
Oh my yes. My skeptical “breakfast foods are for breakfast and dinner foods are for dinner” is on her second helping. Cheers!
*wife
YESSS! Converting people, one bite at a time. 😉 Glad she likes it! xo
I made this for the first time last night…oh my word!! Off the charts, great!!! Five stars in Paprika files; in family meal rotation. Thank you!!
Yay! So glad to hear it, Emily! Thanks for the note! xo