Jalapeño Popper Pasta (Printable)

Creamy penne with roasted jalapeños, bacon, and rich cheese sauce—a spicy comfort food dish ready in 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Bacon

02 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables

03 - 4 large jalapeños, halved, seeded, and sliced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Cheese Sauce

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

15 - ¼ cup toasted panko breadcrumbs
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

# How to Prepare:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, arrange jalapeño slices on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly charred. Remove and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
04 - Add chopped onion to the skillet with reserved bacon fat and sauté for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
05 - Stir in butter and allow it to melt completely. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to form a light roux.
06 - Gradually pour in milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened, approximately 3 minutes.
07 - Reduce heat to low and whisk in cream cheese until fully incorporated. Add cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and melted. Season with salt to taste.
08 - Add roasted jalapeños and half of the cooked bacon to the sauce. Fold in the cooked pasta and toss to ensure even coating.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls immediately. Top with remaining bacon, toasted panko breadcrumbs, and fresh chives.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like the best part of a party appetizer but actually fills you up for dinner.
  • The roasted jalapeños give you all the flavor without setting your mouth on fire.
  • You can have this creamy, indulgent meal on the table in under an hour on a weeknight.
  • Bacon and three kinds of cheese make it impossible to resist.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the jalapeños, raw ones will overpower the dish and make it too sharp and vegetal instead of balanced.
  • Whisk the milk in slowly and keep stirring, because if you dump it all at once or walk away, you'll end up with lumps or a burnt bottom.
  • Use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded, the anti-caking agents in bagged cheese can make your sauce grainy and weird.
03 -
  • Toast the panko in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's golden and fragrant, it only takes a few minutes but makes a huge difference in texture.
  • Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining, you can use it to thin the sauce if it gets too thick when you toss everything together.
  • Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce, it melts faster and blends in without leaving lumps.
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