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This Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta is a perfect date night at home meal, or even just an average weeknight! It is also deceptively fast and easy to make, coming together in under 30 minutes. Savory bacon and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, all tossed together with pasta will have you coming back for seconds!
Sometimes we just want a big bowl of creamy pasta and nothing else will do. I’m not sure why, put pasta seems to be a perfect dish to serve for date night at home. Maybe it’s that scene in Lady and the Tramp with the spaghetti that made an impression on all of our young brains, subconsciously teaching us all that pasta = love.
Speaking of which, the first time this Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta appeared in our house was when I came home from working out and Mr. Briar was busy in the kitchen making this for dinner. I do have to say that walking into the house and discovering your partner is making dinner IS pretty romantic. My workout may have been negated by a big bowl of creamy pasta with bacon but it was worth it.
What I love about this recipe is that it is very fast and easy to make, but it seems like something you would be served in a restaurant. Savory bacon and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce is something that rarely goes wrong, and it will certainly make YOUR loved one happy! If you don’t want to use wine in the sauce, feel free to sub chicken broth.
Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine can also use fettuccine or spaghetti
- 2 slices thick cut bacon diced
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. If pasta finishes before sauce, toss in a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they have released all of their water and the pan is dry. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- Add the bacon to the pan and allow to render its fat and start to become crisp. Remove bacon from pan but leave the fat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms back to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are browned.
- Add the wine, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to cook and reduce for 2-3 minutes. (The alcohol needs to cook out so that the cream doesn't curdle).
- Pour in the half and half, stir and allow sauce to start to thicken. Add the fresh thyme.
- Add the bacon back to the sauce, then add the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine and allow cheese to melt into sauce.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Combine the pasta with the sauce. If sauce is too thick, slowly add a little bit of the pasta water and toss to combine until sauce is desired consistency ( I usually only use up to 1/4 cup of the pasta water).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My lovely wife (that’s how you’re suppose to ref your better half) when I told her there was only two strips of bacon in this, channeled her MIL and said “well that’s stooopid!” On a more serious note we both enjoyed it very much!
Haha, can never have enough bacon! I’m glad you both liked it!