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Creamy Pasta with Pancetta and Mushrooms

You can never go wrong with bacon and mushrooms! Whether you’re entertaining guests or simply treating yourself to a comforting dinner, this delectable creamy pasta with Italian pancetta and mushrooms recipe is sure to impress. With its rich cream sauce, savory pancetta, and earthy mushrooms, every bite is pure delight. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make!

I am so happy to be living in New Haven, CT! Two yummy reasons are – Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s! When we were in  Michigan the nearest Trader Joe’s was 3 hours away – to the west in a Chicago suburb and the east in a suburb of Detroit.

That means when we visit either store, we tend to hoard as we don’t know when we will return. My hubby is such a huge fan of their salsas so we haul loads of them back home. But now, instead of 3 hours – either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s are minutes away from where we live. I am so enjoying this!

Anyway, the other day we went to TJ’s, and got myself some pancetta (Italian Bacon) and mushrooms which I intended to use for different recipes. However, as it would usually happen, there were changes of plans on the menu and instead, I opted to use both in one recipe – a yummy mushroom and pancetta pasta dish.

As you can imagine – the marriage of Pancetta and mushrooms with cream and pasta as special guests (not to mention the presence of wine, too!) made such a wonderful dinner! Yes, it felt like we were having a dinner feast indeed! Enjoy this easy and tasty pasta dish!

Why You Would Love This Recipe

You would love this Creamy Pasta with Pancetta and Mushrooms recipe for its irresistible combination of savory pancetta, earthy mushrooms, and luxuriously creamy sauce. It’s a comforting and satisfying dish that’s easy to make, versatile, and perfect for any occasion.

You can never go wrong with bacon and mushrooms! This creamy and delicious pasta with pancetta is our comfort food for sure.

Ingredients for Creamy Pasta and Pancetta and Mushrooms

  • 1 (12 oz) package of Pasta of your choice*
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Pancetta, cubed*
  • 3 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (8 oz) package Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
  • ¼ cup dry White (or Red) wine*
  • 1 cup Heavy/Double Cream
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • Salt, if needed

Notes: *I only had Spaghetti but Penne and other tube pasta would be great for this, too.
*You can replace this with regular bacon.
*You can replace the wine with chicken broth.

Instructions for Creamy Pasta and Pancetta and Mushrooms

In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring to a boil lightly salted water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. While cooking the pasta, begin the process of cooking the sauce.

In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil. Cook the pancetta until browned but not crispy. Add the garlic and sauté briefly.

Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released its liquid. Pour in the wine. Increase the heat and reduce the wine/liquid to about half.

Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Cook until the cream is just heated then add the parmesan. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with some freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste. If you think it needs salt, add some, to taste.

Drain the Pasta and mix with the sauce. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on the side. Garnish with some fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I use a different type of pasta? Absolutely! Feel free to use your favorite pasta variety for this recipe. Whether it’s spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne, the creamy sauce will complement any shape.

Is it necessary to use wine in the sauce? If you’re able to use it, please do. The wine adds depth of flavor to the sauce but you can omit it if preferred. Simply replace it with an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth for similar results.

Can I make this dish vegetarian? You can easily adapt this recipe to be vegetarian by omitting the pancetta. You can enhance the flavor by adding a pinch of smoked paprika or using a vegetarian bacon alternative.

How can I make this dish healthier? To make this dish lighter, you can substitute half-and-half or whole milk for the heavy cream. Additionally, incorporating more vegetables such as spinach or peas can boost the nutritional content.

If you’re looking for an easy and deliciously creamy pasta dinner idea to try, then this pasta with mushrooms and pancetta is the one to make!

You can never go wrong with bacon and mushrooms! This creamy and delicious pasta with pancetta is our comfort food for sure.

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Creamy Pasta with Pancetta and Mushrooms

Manila Spoon
You can never go wrong with bacon and mushrooms! Whether you’re entertaining guests or simply treating yourself to a comforting dinner, this delectable creamy pasta with Italian pancetta and mushrooms recipe is sure to impress. With its rich cream sauce, savory pancetta, and earthy mushrooms, every bite is pure delight. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make!
5 from 14 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6
Calories 481 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 12 oz package of Pasta of your choice
  • 1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Pancetta, cubed
  • 3 Garlic cloves., minced
  • 8 oz package Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
  • ¼ cup dry White, (or Red wine)
  • 1 cup Heavy/Double Cream
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, or to taste
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • Salt, if needed

Instructions
 

  • In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring to a boil lightly salted water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. While cooking the pasta, begin the process of cooking the sauce.
  • In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil. Cook the pancetta until browned but not crispy. Add the garlic and sauté briefly.
  • Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released its liquid. Pour in the wine. Increase the heat and reduce the wine/liquid to about half.
  • Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Cook until the cream is just heated then add the parmesan. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • Season with some freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste. If you think it needs salt, add some, to taste.
  • Drain the Pasta and mix with the sauce. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on the side. Garnish with some fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 13gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 394mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 626IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on March 20th, 2024 at 04:45 pm

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40 Comments

  1. This looks great! The other day, I made Chicken Alfredo and Bacon Carbonara and looking at the recipe this is certainly something I will try next. The picture looks fabulous!

    Would you prefer to add red or white wine to the dish?

  2. Too funny when we lived in New Haven I never bothered with TJ OR WF lol… There were so many tiny interesting international markets I used instead. I hope you explore those also!

    I LOVE this pasta! I especially love that you do not scrimp on the mushrooms! Drool!

    1. Yes we do Laura. Love the little delis nearby – great food and especially handy for the little stuff you tend to forget when you go grocery shopping. Great to know you once lived here! What a coincidence! 🙂

  3. Oh this looks so yummy, I make something close to this and it tastes great. For those who cannot use wine for cooking (for many different reasons), you can also use chicken stock, which is pretty good too.

  4. Can I just say thank you? I just saw this recipe late this afternoon, (ran out for mushrooms) and produced an incredibly tasty dinner in no time. It absolutely hit the spot. I used the chicken stock and it was so good. Thank you!!!

  5. Can you make the sauce ahead of time, then just before serving, boil the pasta, heat the sauce, and then add? I have a girlfriend's group of 15 that will be here to play a game, then we break for lunch. It's this Thursday, so I'd appreciate a quick response. Looks really good for a crowd. I'll add chicken to make it more of a main dish, serve with grilled Caesar's Salad. What do you think? I will be following you from now on! PS. I live outside Houston, Texas.

  6. Fantastic Pasta!!! I had to substitute the mushrooms (shame) because my son just wont eat them. I just added peppers, onions & chicken:) This was one of his favorites!!! Thank you!

  7. Made this for dinner tonight, it was awesome. I did add fresh, diced tomatoes for color. Thanks for the recipe, it will be a staple in our house!

  8. i tried this today and it was really really tasty! Thanks for sharing! Definitely going to try it again

    1. As with any recipe that calls for wine in savory dishes, get the one you'd love to drink after so it won't be wasted. In other words, your favorite white wine. 🙂

  9. I make this recipe all the time, everyone loves it! I made this yesterday and added pesto! It was delicious!

  10. I’ll be making this for sure! However, we’re watching our weight, so I’ll substiture no-curd cottage cheese or whip up cottage cheese to use instead of heavy cream. Alternatively, low or no fat cream cheese would also work beautifully..just an fyi for others who stay away from heavy fats.

  11. Hi from sunny Australia! I made this last night… added some baby spinach leaves and it was fantastic! Definitely adding to my recipe book. Thank you 🙂

  12. I’ve made this fabulous recipe a few times, always a huge hit. Thank you so much for sharing it.♥️♥️♥️

5 from 14 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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