One Pot Creamy Asparagus and Bacon Pasta

Name: One Pot Creamy Asparagus and Bacon Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 8 lices Bacon; 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms; 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 3 cups milk; 12 ounces penne pasta; 1 pound asparagus; salt and pepper to taste; 4 ounces cream cheese; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ½ cup Parmesan Cheese

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4.6

198 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
6 servings
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

One Pot Creamy Asparagus and Bacon Pasta

Iris Warren

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Enjoy something delicious and satisfying with this easy-to-make recipe.

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Ingredients

Servings

8 lices Bacon chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups milk divided (meaning you'll use 2 cups at first and 1 cup later in the recipe)
12 ounces penne pasta
1 pound asparagus tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup Parmesan Cheese

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Instructions

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet or in a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain all but a teaspoon of the bacon grease. Over medium heat, add the mushrooms and season lightly with salt and pepper; cook until the mushrooms are browned and the liquid is mostly evaporated, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the same plate as bacon.
To the skillet or pot, add the broth, 2 cups of the milk, the pasta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer and cook for about 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally and moderating the heat so the mixture simmers but doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the asparagus and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and the pasta is al dente but still slightly firm (it will cook for a few more minutes later). There will be some liquid left; that's ok as it will help make the creamy sauce in the next step.
In a blender, process the remaining 1 cup milk, cream cheese and flour until very smooth. Gradually add it to the skillet or pot while stirring quickly to combine. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Remove the skillet or pot from the heat. Stir in the bacon and mushrooms, reserving a bit of the bacon to sprinkle on top, if desired. Stir in the Parmesan cheese or sprinkle it on top, also.

Notes

Pasta: different brands of penne pasta will vary in this recipe. The cooking times given in the recipe are for penne pasta that has a package cook time of 11-12 minutes (for al dente). You'll want to adjust accordingly for pasta with shorter or longer cook times (reduce the broth by 1/2 cup to 1 cup if using pasta that has a 7-8 minute cooking time, adding additional broth at the end, if needed).
Sauce: this makes a fairly saucy pasta as that is our preference; if you want slightly less sauce, consider adding only 3 1/2 cups broth and adding more at the end, if needed. The sauce will thicken even more as the pasta rests.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 Serving Calories 537kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 58g (19%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 52mg (17%) Sodium 495mg (21%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 11g (22%)