Creamy Pasta with Asparagus and Bacon
Description
The creamy, flavorful sauce really compliments the asparagus and mushrooms and the bacon just makes everything better.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon, chopped
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3 c. milk, divided
12 oz. farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 lb. asparagus
salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded or grated
Directions
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Discard the tough ends of the asparagus and then cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.
Cook pasta in well salted boiling water about 3 minutes less than the lowest cook time on package directions, not quite al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 12 inch non-stick skillet or a cast iron skillet, cook bacon until crispy; transfer to a paper towel lined platter. Pour the bacon grease into a heat safe bowl. Don't discard it because some will be used later.
Using the same skillet used for the bacon, heat to medium heat; add mushrooms; season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms until browned and liquid is mostly evaporated, 4 - 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.
In a larger pot, add the broth, 2 c. milk, pasta, 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Bring mixture to a vigorous simmer; cook about 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally and moderating the heat so that the mixture simmers but doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Stir in asparagus; cook for another 4 - 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender and pasta is al dente but still slightly firm. There will be a bit of liquid left which helps make the creamy sauce.
In a blender, combine 1 c. milk, cream cheese, and flour; blend until completely smooth. Slowly add this to the pot while stirring quickly to combine. Simmer for several minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove pot from heat.
Set aside a bit of bacon for garnish. Stir the remaining bacon and mushrooms into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Garnish with bacon and more Parmesan cheese, if desired.
4 servings.