Bacon & Goat Cheese Rigatoni
with Caramelized Balsamic Onion & Green Goddess Salad
- Wheat
- Milk
Crispy bacon meets tangy goat cheese and sweet balsamic onion in this indulgent rigatoni. Creamy garlic sauce clings to every tube, and a fresh green goddess salad cuts through the richness. Comfort food meets gourmet bistro in one bowl!
Ingredients
6 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Onion
5 teaspoon
Balsamic Vinegar
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Mixed Greens
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
2 ounce
Green Goddess Dressing
¼ ounce
Chives
2 clove
Garlic
4 ounce
Applewood Smoked Bacon
1 ounce
Goat Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
-
Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Peel and finely chop garlic. Thinly slice chives. Trim and thinly slice cucumber. Crumble goat cheese.
-
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
-
Reserve ⅓ cup pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings), then drain.
-
While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
-
Stir in vinegar and 2 TBSP plain water (4 TBSP for 4 servings). Cook, stirring, until caramelized and jammy, 2-3 minutes more.
-
Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out pan.
-
Heat pan used for onion over medium-high heat. Add bacon*; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
-
Carefully discard bacon grease; wipe out pan and let cool slightly.
-
Once bacon is cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
-
Melt 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in pan used for bacon over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
-
Add cream sauce base, stock concentrate, and reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
-
Add drained rigatoni, caramelized onion, bacon, and half the chives to pan. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
-
In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, cucumbers, dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
-
Divide rigatoni between bowls; top with crumbled goat cheese and remaining chives. Serve with salad on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The bacon, goat cheese, and caramelized balsamic onion combination earned strong praise for its rich, unique depth of flavor 🍲.
- Ease of prep: The recipe involves several steps — cooking onions, then bacon, then sauce in the same pan — which some found time-consuming; timing the pasta drop after the onions caramelize helps streamline things.
- Suggestions: Keep goat cheese refrigerated until the very last moment so it crumbles cleanly; alternatively, stir it directly into the warm sauce for a creamy finish. Use bacon grease instead of olive oil to cook the onions for extra depth.
- Portions: Many wished for more goat cheese — it's the star of the dish, so a second portion makes a noticeable difference.
- Salad: Several reviewers felt the green goddess dressing was too earthy or overpowering; a lighter or sweeter dressing would complement the rich pasta better.
