Creamy Mushroom Mezzi Rigatoni

Yes, yet another cream + mushroom recipe lol. This time, it was to help use up some bacon :) I used the recipe linked below as inspiration and modified quite a bit. Hubby raved about the dish all dinner long. Hope you will enjoy!

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/yse_8dpq67w

Ingredients:

8 oz. dried mezzi rigatoni (or other pasta of your choice)

6 thick slices bacon, cut crosswise in 1/2" chunks/strips

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

~1/4 c. dry white wine (I used Barefoot Chardonnay)

1 T. bottled minced garlic

2 T. flour

1 c. chicken broth

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan (do NOT sub shelf-stable type)

~1/4 c. reserved pasta cooking water

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. When draining the water, reserve some of the cooking water (I used around 1/4 cup, but you may want more, depending on texture/thickness preference for the sauce).

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, until just barely crisped. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

3. To the skillet drippings, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat, then deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits. After 2-3 min, add the minced garlic. Cook until liquid has mostly evaporated.

4. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat/combine.

5. Add the chicken broth and stir to coat/combine.

6. Add the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat/combine. Increase heat slightly and bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to keep at a low simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (sauce should thicken).

7. Stir in the Parmesan. Adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking by adding a small amount of pasta water at a time.

8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve and enjoy!