This one pot bacon and lentil pasta is one of those absolutely brilliant weeknight dinners – easy, full of flavour and made entirely in one pan.

Smoky bacon forms the base of the dish, bringing a deep savoury flavour that runs through the whole sauce. Lentils add substance and make the dish wonderfully filling, while courgettes and mushrooms soften into the sauce and add a little sweetness.

Best of all, everything cooks in a single pot, which means minimal washing up and a very relaxed cooking experience!

If you enjoy recipes like this, you might also like to browse my full collection of one pan dinners here – simple meals designed to make weeknight cooking easy and achievable.

My blog focuses on easy weeknight dinners: recipes that are straightforward to cook, full of flavour and realistic for busy evenings. This bacon and lentil pasta fits perfectly into that philosophy.

Why bacon and lentils work so well together

Bacon and lentils are a classic pairing in many cuisines.

Lentils are naturally earthy and slightly nutty, while bacon brings richness and saltiness. When the two cook together, the lentils absorb all that smoky flavour and become incredibly satisfying.

This is why you often see them together in:

lentil soups
rustic stews
French-style lentil dishes

Adding pasta turns those flavours into a complete, comforting dinner that’s still very simple to make.

It’s the sort of meal that feels nourishing and substantial without requiring lots of effort.

one pot bacon and lentil pasta in a blue bowl

Why this recipe works so well for weeknight dinners

One pot meals appear on this site again and again for a very simple reason: they make life easier!

Cooking everything together in one pot means:

fewer pans to wash
fewer steps in the recipe
deeper flavour because everything cooks together

If you enjoy cooking this way, you might also like:

One Pot Chicken, Bacon and Peas – creamy and comforting
One Pot Sausage, Mushroom and Mozzarella Pasta – rich, cheesy and very satisfying

Both follow the same idea: simple ingredients, one pan and a delicious dinner at the end of it!

Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations

Smoked bacon – the smoked part is the important bit for this one pot bacon pasta you need that flavour. Aside from that, you can use any cut of bacon.
Courgettes and mushrooms – two medium courgettes and 100g mushrooms are perfect. You could also use carrot and/or celery.
Lentils – use dried green lentils. They’ll cook in the stock and suck up all of that delicious flavour.
Chicken stock – or 600ml water and a chicken stock cube.
Dried pasta – any short shape (I.e. not tagliatelle, linguine, spaghetti etc.) will do. I used rigatoni.

a close up of bacon and lentil one pot pasta in a bowl

Top tips for the best bacon and lentil pasta

A few small techniques help this dish taste its best.

Let the bacon brown properly – This is the most important step. Give the bacon time to become golden and slightly crisp before adding the vegetables. This develops the smoky flavour that carries through the whole dish.
Allow the lentils to soften before adding pasta – Lentils take longer to cook than pasta, so giving them a head start ensures everything finishes at the right time.
Let the dish rest before serving – Once the pasta is cooked, turning off the heat and letting the pot sit for 5 minutes makes a big difference. The sauce thickens slightly and the flavours settle together.