Creamy Mushroom
Bacon Pasta
A decadent and comforting pasta dish featuring savory, crispy bacon and earthy button mushrooms enveloped in a rich, velvety cream sauce.
This creamy mushroom and bacon pasta is the ultimate weeknight comfort food. By pan-searing the bacon until its fat renders and sautéing the mushrooms until they are deeply browned, you create a complex, umami-rich base that perfectly complements the smooth cream sauce. It is a satisfying and elegant meal that comes together quickly, making it a reliable favorite for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti
- 100 g button mushrooms
- 50 g bacon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 20 g butter
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 50 ml milk
- to taste salt
- to taste dried parsley
Instructions
- 1Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt and a small amount of oil to the water. Gently place the pasta into the boiling water and cook for approximately ten minutes until tender.
Tip: Adding a little oil to the water helps prevent the pasta from sticking together while it boils. - 2Drain and rinse the pasta
Once the pasta is cooked, carefully remove it from the boiling water. Transfer the hot pasta into a bowl filled with cold water to stop the cooking process immediately, ensuring the perfect texture.
Tip: Rinsing the pasta in cold water is essential to remove excess starch and keep the noodles from becoming mushy. - 3Slice the mushrooms
Place the button mushrooms on a clean wooden cutting board. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the mushrooms into uniform pieces, preparing them for the stir-fry.
Tip: Keep your knife cuts consistent so the mushrooms cook evenly in the pan. - 4Chop the bacon
Take the bacon strips and place them on the cutting board. Carefully chop the bacon into smaller, bite-sized pieces that will cook quickly and distribute well throughout the dish.
Tip: Bite-sized pieces ensure that every mouthful of pasta contains a bit of savory bacon. - 5Sauté the garlic
Heat a pan over medium heat and add a knob of butter. Once the butter has melted and is bubbling, add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
Tip: Watch the garlic closely, as it can turn from golden to burnt very quickly. - 6Cook the bacon
Add the prepared chopped bacon pieces into the pan with the aromatic sautéed garlic. Cook the bacon until it is lightly browned and the fat has rendered, releasing its flavor into the butter.
Tip: Cooking the bacon until slightly crispy adds a pleasant texture contrast to the creamy pasta. - 7Sauté mushrooms and bacon
In a pan, melt butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the sliced bacon and cook until browned, then incorporate the thinly sliced mushrooms. Stir-fry the mixture until the mushrooms release their moisture and it evaporates, creating a concentrated base for the sauce.
Tip: Make sure to cook the mushrooms until they are well-browned for a deeper umami flavor. - 8Prepare the creamy sauce
Once the mushrooms are sautéed and dry, pour 50ml of heavy cream and 50ml of milk into the pan. Stir to combine with the mushroom and bacon mixture, allowing it to heat through and begin to emulsify into a light sauce.
Tip: Keep the heat at a medium level to prevent the cream from splitting. - 9Combine pasta with sauce
Add the pre-cooked pasta into the pan with the creamy mushroom and bacon sauce. Toss thoroughly to ensure every strand of pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.
Tip: Using pasta tongs makes it easier to transfer the noodles directly from the colander. - 10Thicken and serve
Season the dish with a sprinkle of salt and dried parsley. Turn up the heat to high for a brief moment to allow the sauce to thicken and cling perfectly to the pasta. Serve immediately while hot.
Tip: Do not overcook during this final stage; just enough to thicken the sauce.
