Merry Christmas!! Foodie Fridays!!! Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms

This is one of our family's favorite recipes and I only discovered it this past summer! It is super easy and quick to make and feeds a lot! I must say I love this dish too that my husband bought me last year after Christmas at Crate and Barrel. I'm kind of a sucker for a pretty Christmas platter or plate...I have a rather eclectic collection of Christmas dessert plates. 

My Christmas Eve table is set...showing you my eclectic collection of plates and glasses. Hubs bought me the swirly red ones from Pier One years ago, the other reds were from my Secret Santa when I taught high school!

I usually get 4 new ones each year to add to it. I have snowmen, Christmas trees, poinsettias, berries and new Christmas paisley. I might have skipped a year when I didn't find something I really fell in love with. I'm picky that way:) drives my husband crazy...this year I found some beautiful plates and matching mugs at Cracker Barrel (and on sale. YAY!).  I hosted a cookie exchange last weekend and it's fun to use all my different plates and not worry about everything matching or not having enough of one set!

here is the recipe

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
• 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• ½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta
• Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Cook pasta according to package directions.In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.

Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***
Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.

Here is the link to Pioneer Woman's tutorial 

If you would like to participate in Foodie Fridays and link your recipe here, follow the instructions here