Home » Dinner » Bacon Tomato Pasta Casserole

Bacon Tomato Pasta Casserole

Name: Bacon Tomato Pasta Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2/3 pound elbow macaroni; salt ((for water)); 28 ounces crushed tomatoes; 1 tablespoon sugar ((heaping - my family loves 2 tablespoons - but I only put in 1)); 10 slices bacon ((sautéed and chopped)); 1 pound Velveeta cheese ((sliced and tear as you layer it in)); 1 cup almond milk

Last updated on October 3, 2022. Originally posted on May 26, 2022 By Elaine 56 Comments

Jump to Recipe

My grandmother’s bacon tomato pasta casserole recipe is an indulgently gooey take on mac and cheese. Add bacon and tomato sauce and you get the best comfort meal ever.

A grey bowl with pasta in it with the casserole dish in the back

This recipe has been passed down the generations. My family members all make it and I’m sure future generations will make it, not even knowing who Bena was! It is one of those time-tested, soul-satisfying recipes that, once you’ve eaten it, you just have to make!

It’s ooey, gooey, and so delicious that you’re going to make this tomato bacon pasta a family favorite.

I love casseroles! What about you? One of my all time favorites is the lobster casserole because I love seafood with a seacoast passion. Christopher grew up land locked, so he’s more partial to my rice casserole.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you click the link and buy something. You can read my disclosure here.

Helpful tips

I love Velveeta cheese in this pasta dish but if you prefer, you can make this with American cheese, sharp cheddar, muenster, or gruyere cheese.
Use as much or little cheese as you like. My philosophy for this comfort casserole is more is better.
Don’t like elbow macaroni? You can use penne, ziti, or any other noodle in this easy pasta dish.
You will be cooking the pasta as you fry the bacon, that way this dish will be on your table that much faster.

How to make bacon tomato pasta casserole

Pre-step

Get a medium sized casserole dish.

Step one

Fill a stockpot halfway with cooking water and salt it with 3 tablespoon of salt. Turn the heat on high until it comes to a boil.

Step two

Meanwhile, gather the ingredients – large elbow macaroni, uncured bacon, Velveeta cheese, and crushed tomatoes. (A)

Step three

Add cane sugar to the tomatoes and stir to combine. (B)

Left - elbow macaroni, bacon, cheese, tomatoes on a table. Right - tomato can opened with sugar in it

Step four

Heat a sauté pan or large skillet on medium heat and cook the bacon for 10 minutes, flipping every few minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and blot the bacon grease off each piece.

Step five

Cut the Velveeta cheese in slices. (C)

Step six

Chop bacon to smallish pieces. (D) Transfer bacon to the sweetened tomatoes and stir to combine.

Left - cheese sliced on a board. Right - bacon chopped on a red cutting board

Step seven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step eight

Add elbows to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Step nine

Layer tomato mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish and add a few spoonfuls of elbows. (E)

Step ten

Spoon some tomato/bacon mixture on the elbows. Be generous. (F)

Layers of pasta, tomato and cheese in a casserole dish

Step eleven

Place cheese slices on the sauce. (G)

Step twelve

Continue layering until you run out of pasta. It ends up being three or four layers. So, pasta, sauce, cheese. Repeat. (H)

Step thirteen

Pour in some milk until you can see it reach halfway up the side of the casserole dish. (I)

Step fourteen

Cover the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Once the timer dings, take the cover off and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.

A casserole dish with cheese melted on pasta with a salad in the back

Look at all that cheese. I love the crispy bits.

Now, it’s time to spoon the bacon tomato casserole out and serve it to my adoring fan: Christopher. 🙂

A big spoonful of pasta casserole held over the casserole dish

Yum.

Close up of the tomato pasta in the grey bowl

So delicious.

Overhead view of the bowl of cheesy pasta with a fork and casserole dish in the back

I hope you enjoy making this bacon tomato pasta recipe as much as we enjoy EATING it.

What is your favorite casserole? Leave me a comment as I’d love to know.

More recipes using bacon

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!