Spaghetti with creamy bacon & mushroom sauce

In life, there are times when lavish meals are necessary. Meals that take you hours to prepare and cook and present beautifully. But there are also times where all you need is to sit on the couch with a big bowl of pasta while watching talk shows. That is what I needed a few nights ago when after a day of driving the kids around, trying to make deadlines, cooking, shooting and editing, I was just exhausted. Physically and emotionally. And let me tell you, there are few things that remedy an exhausted mind as quickly as a bowl of creamy pasta.

This also happens to be the only thing C ever wants to eat. He loves most of the food I cook but he’s a pretty simple guy when it comes to food. Cream? Good! Pasta? Good! Bacon? Goooooood! Whenever I want to treat him, this is what I cook and the fact that is pretty much the easiest thing you can knock together just makes it so much better.

I start off with a big pot of salted water which I bring to the boil. While I’m waiting for that to happen, I fry off the bacon until it’s crisp and has rendered off all its delicious fat. I then sauté the mushrooms in a bit of that bacon fat with garlic and then add the bacon back in before I add the cream. I love how the sizzling pan comes to an abrupt halt when the cream is added. It’s almost like the cream is gently shooshing it as it makes it way through the mushrooms and bacon. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and you have comfort in a bowl. Perfect for any time when your soul needs a little soothing. 44

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Spaghetti with creamy bacon & mushroom sauce

Course Dinner, Pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Alida Ryder

Ingredients

for the sauce

• 250 g streaky bacon chopped
• 250 g mushrooms sliced
• 1 garlic clove sliced
• 100-150 ml cream
• lemon juice to taste
• salt & pepper to taste

to serve

• 500 g spaghetti cooked
• freshly chopped parsley
• grated Parmesn cheese

Instructions

• Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat then fry the bacon until crisp.
• Remove the bacon and set aside. Pour off the bacon fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pan for frying the mushrooms.
• Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown then add the garlic.
• Add the bacon and cream and allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes.
• Season with lemon juice, salt & pepper then pour over the pasta and toss.
• Serve with parsley and Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.