Creamy Mushroom
Bacon Pasta
A luxurious restaurant style cream pasta featuring crisp bacon lardons and tender sautéed mushrooms in a rich velvety milk and light cream reduction.
This creamy pasta is a comforting staple that balances the smoky saltiness of bacon with the earthy depth of white button mushrooms. Unlike a traditional egg based carbonara, this version uses a combination of milk and light cream to create a stable silky sauce that perfectly coats every strand of spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti
- 150 g white button mushrooms
- 4 strips bacon
- 12 red onion
- 20 g butter
- 150 ml milk
- 100 ml light cream
- to taste sea salt
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- 1Prepare the mushrooms
Begin by cleaning the white button mushrooms. Gently pull or twist the stems to remove them from the caps. Removing the stems allows for more uniform slicing and better texture in the final creamy sauce.
Tip: Dont throw away the stems; you can save them for making vegetable stock later. - 2Slice the mushroom caps
Place the mushroom caps flat side down on a wooden cutting board for stability. Use a sharp chef knife to cut them into thin even slices. Consistent thickness ensures the mushrooms cook at the same rate.
Tip: Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth instead of washing them to prevent them from becoming waterlogged. - 3Cut the bacon
Stack several strips of raw bacon and slice them crosswise into bite-sized rectangular pieces. This creates lardons that will render their fat beautifully and provide a salty crunch in every bite of the pasta.
Tip: Bacon is easier to slice cleanly if it is very cold or slightly frozen. - 4Boil the spaghetti
Add the spaghetti to a pot of boiling water and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until al dente. Use tongs to lift a few strands and check the texture; they should be firm to the bite but fully cooked through.
Tip: Dont overcook the pasta at this stage, as it will continue to cook slightly once added to the hot cream sauce later. - 5Shock the pasta in cold water
After boiling the spaghetti for 7 to 8 minutes until al dente, immediately transfer it into a bowl of cold water. Rinsing with cold water stops the cooking process and prevents the noodles from becoming mushy or sticking together.
Tip: Ensure the water is very cold to quickly bring down the temperature of the starch. - 6Melt the butter
Place a frying pan over low heat and add a square of butter. Allow the butter to melt slowly until it begins to bubble slightly. This fat will serve as the flavorful base for sautéing the aromatics.
Tip: Keep the heat low to prevent the butter solids from browning or burning, which can alter the color of your creamy sauce. - 7Sauté the onions
Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Once the butter is bubbling, add the finely diced red onions. Sauté them gently until they become translucent and fragrant, ensuring they dont brown too quickly.
Tip: Low heat is key here; you want to sweat the onions to release their natural sweetness without burning the butter. - 8Add the bacon
Once the onions are fragrant and translucent, add the bite-sized bacon pieces to the pan. Increase the heat slightly to help render the fat from the bacon.
Tip: Using a wide pan helps the bacon cook evenly and prevents the onions from steaming rather than sautéing. - 9Add the sliced mushrooms
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan with the crispy bacon and sautéed onions. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened and absorbed the savory flavors from the rendered bacon fat.
Tip: Dont crowd the pan too much; giving the mushrooms space helps them brown properly rather than steaming in their own moisture. - 10Season the mixture
Once the bacon is crispy and the mushrooms have softened and browned, season the mixture generously with freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to ensure the spice is evenly distributed throughout the rendered fats.
Tip: Dont add salt yet, as bacon and butter often provide enough sodium. Wait until the sauce is finished to adjust the seasoning. - 11Add the milk
Pour 150ml of fresh milk into the pan with the fried bacon and mushrooms. This will act as the base for your creamy sauce, picking up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Pour the milk in slowly while stirring to help emulsify the fats from the bacon and butter into the liquid. - 12Pour in the cream
After the mushrooms have softened and the bacon is crispy, pour in the light cream and milk. Stir gently to combine the dairy with the rendered fats and juices in the pan to create a rich base.
Tip: Keep the heat at a steady simmer; boiling the cream too vigorously can cause the sauce to break or become too thick too quickly. - 13Combine pasta and sauce
Transfer the cooked and drained spaghetti directly into the pan with the bubbling creamy sauce. The heat of the sauce will help the pasta absorb the flavors.
Tip: If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up and create a silkier coating. - 14Toss to coat
Using tongs, thoroughly toss the spaghetti in the sauce until every strand is evenly coated with the cream, bacon, and mushrooms. Finish with a final seasoning of sea salt and black pepper.
Tip: Tossing vigorously helps the starch from the pasta emulsify with the sauce, leading to a professional-looking glossy finish.
