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1
Cut the pound of bacon into 1/4-inch strips and scrape them into a stockpot over medium heat, stirring to separate bacon strips.
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2
Cook until bacon is crisp, then use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
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3
Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pan and return the pan to the heat, dropping the temperature to low.
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4
Add the onion and garlic (and crushed red pepper flakes, if using!)
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5
and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and soft.
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6
Pour in the chicken stock and tomatoes and half of the reserved bacon, then raise heat to medium high, bringing the mixture to a boil.
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7
When it is fully boiling, stir well, then add in the linguine noodles, using tongs to toss it until the noodles soften enough to be submerged.
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8
Add the lid, drop the heat to low again, cover tightly, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the noodles are al dente (cooked mostly through with just some resistance in the center when you bite it use your package instructions for al dente).
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9
Remove the pan from the heat.
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10
Stir in the grated cheese and the cubed cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, cover the pot again and let stand for 5 minutes.
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11
When the 5 minutes are up, toss the noodles in the sauce until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened.
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12
Serve the noodles garnished with the remaining bacon and the parsley and sun-dried tomatoes.
