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!
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
Feel free to use chicken broth instead of wine if you prefer.Adapted from The Pioneer Woman