Super luxurious, Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta is perfect if you want a low effort but fancy dinner. Simple enough for a weekday meal, but equally good enough for date night, this creamy tagliatelle with crispy bacon and garlic mushrooms needs to be on your meal planner.
Whether it’s part of a full Scottish Breakfast, in another pasta dish like Bacon and Mushroom Carbonara, or fancy comfort food like Bacon and Mushroom Risotto, you can’t really go wrong with this classic combo. This creamy pasta sauce combines bacon and mushrooms with cream, fresh thyme and garlic for a decadent but accessible dish.
Date Night Pasta
I like to call this a ‘Date Night’ Pasta Dish. What I mean by that is a dish which is just a little bit more special than your regular weeknight throw it together dinner. Like Chicken Vodka Pasta or Prawn and Chorizo Pasta.
Date Night pasta is a meal which feels a bit fancy, maybe with slightly more decadent ingredients like cream or wine or expensive seafood, but is still quick and easy to pull together. It is not designed to keep you glued to the kitchen when you have guests over.
Its a dish which is at home on a candle-lit table, served with a fancy glass of wine when you have company. But also equally at home eaten on the sofa in your comfies while watching trash TV with your significant other.
Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Mushroom
I love a pasta dish which is not only quick and easy to cook, but uses just a few simple staple ingredients. In this case bacon, mushrooms, pasta and double cream. Fresh thyme, garlic and salt add additional flavour.
I love cooking with mushrooms and pretty much always have some in my fridge. Not only are they delicious and so versatile, but mushrooms are really good for you too – they are packed with fibre, antioxidants and B vitamins.
Creamy Bacon Pasta
A lot of pasta sauce recipes containing bacon instruct you to cook the bacon first then remove and set aside, adding the crispy bacon back into the pan near the end of cooking. Personally I do not see the point of this, and never do it.
Not only is it an extra step which is a bit of a faff, but it is also something else to clean up. Plus I like my bacon crispy and I want it to impart its salty flavour into the rest of the sauce ingredients.
Of course, you can remove the bacon after cooking and add it back in at the end if you prefer. I’d suggest re-adding when you stir in the pasta. (But do bear in mind this means you will have an extra dish to wash.)
Ingredients
- Bacon – streaky bacon rashers cooked nice and crispy work best in this pasta, but you can use bacon lardons or back bacon if you prefer.
- Mushrooms – I like to use chestnut or baby bella mushrooms.
- Pasta – A long pasta like tagliatelle is my favourite but the creamy bacon and mushroom sauce works with short shapes like penne too.
- Cream – double or heavy cream.
- Thyme – use fresh thyme leaves. I don’t recommend using dried thyme. Sub in fresh parsley or dried oregano or just omit.
- Garlic – fresh is best but you can sub in dried garlic powder in a pinch. Use a teaspoon in this recipe.
- Butter – or olive oil, for cooking.
- Parmesan – optional, but pretty much all pasta dishes beg to be garnished with a sprinkle of cheese.
Variations and Substitutions
–Instead of bacon, try turkey bacon. Or use sausage – either chicken, turkey or pork sausage work well. Brown the sausage meat before adding the mushrooms. You could even swap the bacon for chicken, either breast or thighs seasoned with salt and pepper then cut into bite sized pieces.
–Add extra veggies – stir through some spinach or kale a couple minutes before serving until it wilts. Or add in some broccoli or diced bell pepper with the mushrooms
–Use a non dairy cream if preferred. And swap the butter to olive oil.
-If you need a vegetarian dish then simply omit the bacon – this recipe works just as well as a Creamy Mushroom Pasta.
Top Tip
Make sure you reserve some of the pasta cooking water. It helps bind the sauce to the pasta as well as loosen it so you avoid a claggy cream sauce.
I like to use tongs or a pasta skimmer to transfer the pasta straight from the water into the sauce. This usually transfers the perfect amount of water.
If you drain the pasta in a colander over the sink, just make sure to take out some water first. About a ladleful should do – or use a cup measure with a handle or a mug to avoid scalding your fingers!
Serving and Storing
Garlic bread is a classic side dish for pasta, and is great for mopping up that creamy sauce. Or try a fresh crusty baguette loaf or some warm focaccia.
A simple Green Salad never goes amiss, or try a Tomato Mozzarella Salad or a White Bean Salad.
Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta is best served freshly cooked but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until piping hot. You may wish to add a splash of water or more cream to loosen the sauce.
I don’t recommend freezing this pasta – creamy sauces don’t tend to hold up well after being frozen.
More ‘Date Night’ Pasta Dishes:
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Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta
Equipment
- Pasta Pot
Ingredients
- 200 grams pasta - I use tagliatelle
- 250 grams mushrooms - sliced
- 130 grams streaky bacon - about 6 slices
- 100 ml double or heavy cream
- 3 garlic cloves - diced
- 1 tbsp fresh Thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 30 grams grated parmesan cheese - 1oz plus extra to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large pan or skillet over a medium heat. Cut the bacon into 1cm pieces (I use scissors for ease) and cook until just beginning to crisp. You shouldn't need any oil as the bacon will release its own fat, but use if you prefer.
- Add the butter to the pan then once melted add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring once or twice, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme then cook for another 1-2 minutes until you can smell the garlic.
- Lower the heat and pour in the cream. Stir well and allow to lightly simmer and thicken up for 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions in a large pot of salted water. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce pan along with a dash of pasta water. Stir in the cheese. Use tongs to toss everything together over a low heat – the sauce should be thick and glossy. Add more pasta water as required.
- Serve topped with extra cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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