Creamy Garlic Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon, & Peas
Brief Origin
I had just moved to Chicago and was out to dinner with some friends before an art show. We discovered this little Italian restaurant in Tinley Park, and I ordered a garlic cream pasta on the menu without cheese! It’s so rare to find a creamy Italian pasta that isn’t covered in cheese. (Those that know me know that I do not like the taste of cheese / most dairy products.)
Several months later, I was really craving the pasta from the restaurant but didn’t want to travel all the way to Tinley Park, so I found the menu and description of the dish online and went to work recreating it.
Make
Directions
Fill your pasta pot with water and heavily salt. Place the pot on your stovetop and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. While the water is heating up, prep your garlic, mushrooms, parsley, and bacon. Add pasta once boiling.
In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat and cook mushrooms and half of the minced garlic until the mushrooms have browned and shrunken. Reduce heat to low and add the bacon, peas, and heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once the pasta is al dente, add directly to the sauté pan along with 1/2 cup of pasta water and stir to incorporate.
To serve, cover the pasta with chopped parsley, freshly grated parmesan, and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!
TIP: I sometimes serve this with grilled chicken if I’m not planning any additional sides. Pound out a chicken breast with a meat tenderizer to make it consistently thin. Season both sides with garlic salt, black pepper, balsamic reduction, and grill or sauté in a pan for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked. Slice diagonally.
Ingredients
Pasta + Sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp cooked and diced bacon pieces
3/4 cup green peas (frozen)
8 oz uncooked pasta (orecchiette, linguine, or farfalle)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Garnish
Chopped parsley
Freshly grated parmesan
Freshly ground pepper
