Spaghetti with bacon, mushrooms and cream sauce recipe

You can make this creamy smoky sauce in batches and freeze it. It is fantastic with chicken and pork, or just on it’s own, as with this pork dish. For best results, use any kind of ribbon pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, angel hair or pappardelle. Cook for according to the packet instructions and toss in the delicious, creamy mushroom sauce for the perfect finish. Top with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs to serve.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
• 250g white or chestnut mushrooms
• 250ml double cream
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 garlic clove
• 30g unsalted butter
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1tbsp thyme leaves thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta:

• Dried spaghetti (cooked in a large pan of boiling water, according to packet instructions, approx. 8-9 mins)

Method

1. Clean and prepare the mushrooms (If there is a lot of soil, you can wash them in water and pat them dry with kitchen towel)
2. Remove the stalks and reserve for the mushroom stock. Finely chop the tops.
3. Make a simple mushroom stock by adding the stalks to a pan of water and bringing it to the boil. Once it boils, add a capful of wine and a crushed clove of garlic then turn down the heat and let it simmer.
4. Add a knob of butter to a hot saucepan pan and add a splash of olive oil, which will stop the butter from burning. Add the spring onions and mushrooms and cook them down until all the water has been released (you will hear the sound change from a bubbling to a sizzling). Now add a splash of wine into the pan. The pan must be hot enough for the wine to bubble fiercely and burn off the alcohol. Once the booze has cooked off add 100ml of the mushroom stock to the mushrooms and leave to simmer.
5. Cut the bacon into a fine dice and fry off until crispy. Reserve for later.
6. Once the liquid of the sauce has reduced down again, add the cream and allow to simmer and reduce the flavours. When the sauce starts to bubble thickly it is ready. Add a tablespoon more of the mushroom stock to thin it out and then add the bacon and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
7. Stir through the cooked spaghetti. Finish with some chopped flat-leaf parsley and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.