Creamy Bacon, Shrimp,
Mushroom Pasta

A decadent and comforting fusion pasta dish, featuring succulent shrimp, savory crispy bacon, and earthy mushrooms enveloped in a rich, velvety milk-based sauce.

Ingredients

• 200 g spaghetti
• 150 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 100 g button mushrooms, sliced
• 50 g bacon, chopped
• 250 ml milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Malabar spinach
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 wontons, optional
• 1 egg, optional

Instructions

1. 1Melt the butter

   

   Place a pat of butter into a heated black skillet. Allow the butter to melt completely until it coats the surface of the pan, providing a rich base for frying.

   Tip: Ensure the pan is evenly heated before adding the butter to prevent burning.
2. 2Fry the egg

   

   Crack an egg directly into the pan with the melted butter. Fry the egg until the white is set and the yolk is cooked to your preference.

   Tip: Keep the heat at a medium level to ensure the egg whites cook through without burning the bottom.
3. 3Cook the shrimp

   

   Add the raw shrimp to the pan around the frying egg. Sauté the shrimp, turning them occasionally, until they turn opaque and develop a light brown sear.

   Tip: Be careful not to overcook the shrimp; they are ready as soon as they curl and become opaque.
4. 4Fry the bacon

   

   After removing the egg and shrimp, add the bacon pieces to the reserved butter in the pan. Stir-fry the bacon until it is crispy and the fat has rendered.

   Tip: Crispy bacon adds a great texture and savory depth to the pasta sauce.
5. 5Sauté the mushrooms

   

   Add the sliced button mushrooms and minced garlic to the pan with the crispy bacon. Toss everything together to combine, sautéing until the mushrooms soften and release their moisture.

   Tip: Adding garlic along with the mushrooms allows the flavors to infuse deeply into the dish.
6. 6Create the sauce

   

   Pour milk directly into the pan over the sautéed mushrooms and bacon. Bring the mixture to a simmer to thicken, creating a creamy white sauce base.

   Tip: Stir continuously as the milk simmers to help the sauce thicken evenly.
7. 7Boil the pasta

   

   Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add the dry spaghetti noodles. Cook the pasta until al dente. While this is cooking, you can add a few wontons to the boiling water to cook them alongside the noodles.

   Tip: Since the pasta takes a while to cook, start boiling your water early in the process so its ready when your sauce is done.
8. 8Combine pasta and sauce

   

   Once the spaghetti is fully cooked, transfer it directly from the boiling water into the simmering creamy mushroom and bacon sauce. Stir well so the noodles absorb the rich, creamy flavor.

   Tip: Transferring the pasta straight from the pot brings a little starchy pasta water with it, helping the sauce thicken and cling perfectly to the noodles.
9. 9Mix in shrimp and wontons

   

   Return the previously fried shrimp back into the pan with the pasta and sauce. Add in the cooked wontons you boiled earlier and gently toss everything together until evenly coated.

   Tip: Adding the cooked shrimp at this late stage prevents them from becoming tough and rubbery from overcooking.
10. 10Season with black pepper

    

    Generously season the dish with freshly ground black pepper. The black pepper is the soul of this recipe, cutting through the richness of the milk and bacon to balance the flavors perfectly.

    Tip: Freshly ground black pepper has a much more robust and complex flavor compared to pre-ground pepper.

Storing Leftovers

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions