Creamy bacon and mushroom pasta recipe

This creamy bacon and mushroom pasta is the so speedy, it's the perfect weeknight dinner.

A creamy pasta dish is one of our favourite family dinners to serve up on a weeknight when you just want something tasty that makes you feel like everything is alright with the world. This one has it all - salty bacon, squidgy mushrooms, bright peas and a creamy, garlicky sauce. And it's on the table and ready to eat in just 20 minutes. The is one of our great cheap family meals. You can buy bacon cheaply by going for off-cuts packets. They don't look as pretty as regular rashers but no one will mind because they'll be sliced into small pieces, and they taste just as good. 

Ingredients

• 300g fusilli pasta twists
• 1 tsp oil
• 4 rashers back bacon, cut into strips
• 75g mushrooms, sliced
• 100g peas (de-frosted)
• 120g soft cheese with garlic and herbs
• 5 tbsp milk

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on pack.
2. Whilse the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon until it's crisp. Remove from the pan onto a plate, retaining any remaining cooking oil in the pan. Set the bacon aside, then cook the mushrooms in the same pan.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the peas, soft cheese and milk, stir until the soft cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce.
4. Drain the pasta, toss through the sauce and divide between 4 serving bowls.

Top tip for making creamy bacon and mushroom pasta

You can make this vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon. Top with a sprinkling of vegetarian hard cheese to add extra flavour.