Creamy Mushroom & Garlic Pasta

Staying true to its reputation for unpredictable and horrid weather, this week in the UK has been awfully cold, which meant that I had no desire to leave my house. So I decided to scrummage through my kitchen and see what I could whip up. Luckily, I had the ingredients for one of my favourite home comforts, a creamy garlic and mushroom pasta with lots and lots of cheese. For me this dish represents what makes a great dish: easy to make, tasty and heart-warming.I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think! 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Knife
• Wooden spoon
• Frying pan
• Chopping board
• Sieve
• Saucepan

INGREDIENTS

• 300ml double cream
• 200g bacon / pancetta
• 150g Mozzarella cheese to serve (Optional)
• 60g Parmesan
• 1 onion
• 1 scotch bonnet
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4x garlic
• 500g spaghetti

Serves 4 

STEPS

1. Heat the frying pan until its slightly hot, then add the pancetta to fry until golden and slightly crispy.
2. Using the excess oil from the pancetta, fry the chopped onions and scotch bonnets (optional). Once the onions are soft, add the mushrooms.
3. Whilst the mushrooms are cooking, boil some hot water in a saucepan. Following the instructions on the packet, add the spaghetti. (Tip: Make sure they are al dente (firm), so that the spaghetti doesn’t end up being too soft when you simmer in the cream later).
4. Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, gradually add the double cream to the mushrooms and stir. Add seasoning to taste.
5. Once ready, add in the spaghetti gradually and stir.
6. Leave to cook for 10 minutes – then you’re ready to serve!
7. I serve with mozzarella cheese (an excessive amount, because why not?), but you can serve with parmesan.