This 15-Minute Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Spaghetti Is an Absolute Lifesaver
It is insanely fast to throw together, looks incredibly fancy, and tastes like you ordered it from a pricey Italian spot — even though it’s just basic fridge staples.
Let’s be real: after a brutal workday, the absolute last thing you want to do is baby a complicated recipe over a hot stove — but you still deserve a killer comforting dinner. That is exactly when this ultra-velvety bacon and mushroom pasta comes in to save the day.
The smoky aroma of crispy bacon, tender earthy mushrooms, and a rich cream sauce coat every single strand of spaghetti perfectly. Toss a mountain of grated cheese on top at the end, and you’ve got a rich, deeply satisfying meal that will completely blow your usual weeknight routine out of the water.
Here’s what you need: 10 oz (300g) of spaghetti, 10 oz (300g) of fresh button mushrooms, 7 oz (200g) of bacon, 1.2 cups (300ml) of heavy cream (20% fat), 1 cup (100g) of hard cheese (like Parmesan or similar), 2 garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste, and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs.
To start, drop your spaghetti into a large pot of boiling, generously salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it is just al dente — tender with a slight bite to it.
While your pasta is boiling, slice the bacon into bite-sized strips and toss them straight into a cold, dry skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and fry the bacon bits in their own rendering fat until they turn beautifully crisp and golden-brown.
Next, slice your button mushrooms and crowd them into the skillet with the bacon. Sauté the mixture over medium heat, letting the mushrooms absorb the bacon fat, and keep cooking until all the liquid they release completely evaporates from the pan. Once the pan is dry again, stir in your minced garlic cloves and cook for just about one minute until the kitchen smells incredible.
Pour the heavy cream directly into the sizzling skillet, then season the sauce with a pinch of salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and the dried Italian herbs. Give everything a thorough stir, lower the heat slightly, and let the cream simmer gently for a few minutes until it thickens into a rich glaze.
Drain your cooked spaghetti and dump it straight into the bubbling cream sauce. Toss the pasta vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes so the sauce clings to every strand and heats all the way through. Divide the hot pasta into deep serving bowls and top with a generous dusting of grated hard cheese right before digging in.
