This 15-minute creamy bacon and mushroom pasta is packed with flavor, easy to make, and a great option for a delicious weeknight dinner.
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This creamy pasta with bacon and mushrooms is comfort food at its finest! The combination of soft pasta and crispy bacon gives the dish a fantastic texture. Serve it as a quick and simple dinner, or for date night and other special occasions.
If you love this recipe, you might also like my Healthy Mushroom Soup or Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake.
Why you'll love it
- Made in less than 15 minutes, perfect for quick meals
- Customize it to suit your preferences and dietary requirements
- Really simple pasta recipe
- Delicious creamy sauce
Ingredients
Pasta: Use any pasta you like. I use linguine or spaghetti, but penne, fusilli, rotini or tagliatelle will also work well.
Bacon: Crispy bacon add a delicious salty flavor and crunch to this dish.
Mushrooms: Use white button mushrooms or any other mushrooms.
Heavy cream: The main component of the cream sauce. See the Variations section below for healthy swaps.
Garlic: Use garlic cloves, garlic paste or garlic powder.
Seasoning: Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning add great flavor to the dish.
Lemon: Lemon juice adds a little kick of flavor to the sauce. You can substitute with white wine vinegar instead.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Pan fry bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until they are crispy. Remove them from the frying pan, and set them aside. Roughly chop into smaller pieces as soon as they have cooled down.
Two: Add sliced mushrooms to the frying pan. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are warm, and have shrunk in size. Add grated garlic cloves and seasoning, and sauté for another minute.
Three: Add heavy cream and lemon juice to the mushrooms. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for about 5 minutes, while you wait for the linguine to boil.
Four: Combine boiled pasta, and half of the crispy bacon with the mushroom sauce. Serve the creamy bacon mushroom pasta topped with the remaining bacon.
Top tips
- Boil the pasta according to the package instructions. The exact cooking time can vary depending on what type of pasta you use, but is typically between 5-10 minutes.
- If your mushrooms are sticking to the pan, you might have to add some olive oil. This will often be unnecessary, as the bacon grease is enough.
- Allow the mushrooms and seasoning to sauté thoroughly before you add the cream. This will give the sauce much more flavor!
- Keep an eye on the pasta, and drain off most of the excess water when it's cooked to your liking.
Serving suggestions
This bacon and mushroom pasta is best served as a tasty entree for lunch or dinner. The dish is a complete meal on its own, but you can also pair it with flavorful side dishes if you wish.
These are some of the sides that I love to serve it with:
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Lemon Kale Salad
- Olive Salad
- Beetroot and Feta Salad
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
You can also garnish the dish with red pepper flakes, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper.
Variations
Low calorie and light alternatives: Use less bacon, or replace it with turkey bacon, and use a lighter cream option.
High protein: Replace the pasta with a high protein version, like chickpea pasta or black bean pasta.
Vegetarian: Replace the bacon with a vegetarian bacon variety, or omit it. This dish tastes great as a veggie mushroom pasta dish.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a small pot to boil the pasta, and a frying pan to cook the bacon and mushroom sauce.
Additionally, you will need a cutting board and a knife to prepare the ingredients.
Storage
You can store leftover bacon and mushroom pasta in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the dish in a microwave for a few minutes, and serve it warm.
The dish can also be frozen, however this would make the bacon and pasta softer, and the cream sauce could potentially split when it's thawed. You'll get much better results if you serve the meal fresh!
Frequently asked questions
You can use any pasta that you like, for example linguine, spaghetti or penne. Use your favorite, or whatever you have available.
Adding a little pasta water to the sauce will allow the sauce to stick to the pasta better. It will also make the sauce thicker, and add some flavor.
You might also like these recipes
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake
- Chicken Spinach Alfredo
- Kielbasa Pasta
- Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Bacon and Mushroom Pasta
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in water according to the package instructions.½ pound linguine
- Pan fry bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until they are crispy. Remove them from the frying pan, and set them aside. Roughly chop into smaller pieces as soon as they have cooled down.6 bacon strips
- Add sliced mushrooms to the frying pan. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are warm, and have shrunk in size.½ pound white button mushrooms
- Add grated garlic cloves and seasoning, and sauté for another minute.3 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Add heavy cream and lemon juice to the mushrooms. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for about 5 minutes.½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Combine boiled pasta, 3 tablespoons of pasta water, and half of the crispy bacon with the mushroom sauce.
- Serve the dish topped with the remaining bacon on top.
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave, and serve warm.
- Make a lighter version of the dish by using black bean pasta, light cream and turkey bacon or vegetarian bacon.
- Use any pasta that you like! Any variety will work well, like for example linguine, spaghetti, penne, fusilli and tagliatelle.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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