Creamed spinach, bacon and mushroom spaghetti
Let me explain the dish. The first time I made it was in 2011. I was so smitten with creamed spinach that I was pairing it with meat, seafood and chicken. Finally, I tried it with pasta and I loved it. Still, being more carnivore than herbivore, I just had to add bacon. In this updated recipe, mushrooms join bacon to give an already excellent dish even more flavor and texture.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
Creamed spinach
- coarse salt
- 250 grams fresh baby spinach (about ½ pound) rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- pepper to taste
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
To complete the dish
- 150 grams spaghetti (about ⅓ pound) or whatever amount you cook for three people
- 250 grams belly bacon rashers (about ½ pound) cut into thin strips
- 150 grams shimeji (about ⅓ pound) cut into smalller pieces
- ¾ cup shredded cheese (a combination of cheddar and mozzarella is recommended)
- full-fat milk (optional)
Instructions
Cook the creamed spinach
- Boil about six cups of water with a teaspoon of salt.
- Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds. Drain (save the water), rinse and squeeze as hard as you can, in batches if necessary, to remove all the water.
- Chop the spinach (rough or fine chop, it's up to you).
- Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the chopped onion. Cook the onion over medium heat until the edges are lightly browned.
- Add the spinach to the browned onion.
- Pour in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until everything is heated through.
- Off the heat, stir in the nutmeg.
Cook the spaghetti
- Boil the water in which the spinach was blanched, add another teaspoon of salt and dump in the spaghetti. Cook until just a bit underdone.
- Drain the spaghetti and set aside.
Brown the bacon and shimeji
- Spread the bacon in a cold pan. Turn the heat to medium and let the bacon start rendering fat. Stir and cook until browned.
- Add the shimeji and continue cooking with occasional stirring until both the bacon and shimeji are nicely browned (see notes). Scoop out a quarter of the mixture and set aside.
Complete the dish
- Stir the creamed spinach into the browned bacon and shimeji.
- Add the cheese. Stir. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss repeatedly. If the sauce is too thick, pour in about a quarter cup of milk and toss until blended.
- Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Twirl your spaghetti into bowls and top with the reserved browned bacon and mushrooms.