Description
A comforting and creamy pasta dish featuring orecchiette tossed in a rich mushroom thyme sauce with crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese. This recipe balances savory flavors with a smooth, velvety sauce, perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Dairy
- 4 slices Thick-Cut Bacon (Substitute with cooked Italian sausage or turkey bacon for a lighter option)
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Can be substituted with olive oil for a dairy-free option)
- 1 cup Half-and-Half (Blend with milk for more richness)
- 1/2 cup Milk (Substitute with skim, almond, or oat milk as needed)
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Can be omitted for a dairy-free version)
Produce
- 8 ounces Button Mushrooms (Substitute with cremini or portobello for different flavor)
- 2 cloves Minced Garlic (Fresh garlic gives a more robust taste)
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme (Dried thyme can be used at half the amount)
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch (Can be replaced with a gluten-free thickener if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (Adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (Substitute with white pepper if desired)
- 12 ounces Orecchiette Pasta (Use other pasta types as needed, watch cooking times)
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the thick-cut bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving approximately 2 teaspoons of bacon fat in the skillet to add flavor to the sauce.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Mushrooms: In the same skillet with the reserved bacon fat, add unsalted butter and button mushrooms. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning the mushrooms occasionally until they are golden brown and tender.
- Add Garlic: Add minced garlic to the skillet and continue sautéing for another 3-4 minutes until fragrant and cooked through.
- Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch with half-and-half until smooth. Pour this mixture and the milk into the skillet with mushrooms and garlic. Add the cooked bacon pieces, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and let the sauce simmer gently for 6-8 minutes until it thickens.
- Combine and Serve: Add the cooked orecchiette to the skillet and gently toss to coat the pasta thoroughly with the mushroom thyme sauce. Serve immediately while warm and creamy.
Notes
- For a lighter alternative, replace bacon with turkey bacon or cooked Italian sausage.
- Dairy-free option: use olive oil instead of butter, omit Parmesan, and substitute half-and-half and milk with almond or oat milk.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and a suitable thickener instead of cornstarch.
- If using dried thyme, reduce the quantity to half a teaspoon as it is more concentrated than fresh thyme.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste considering the saltiness of bacon and cheese.
- Cook pasta al dente to retain texture when mixed with the sauce.
