About
Taking your first bite of Delicious Sunshine Pasta, you'll find yourself beaming through the rest of dinner and for a long time to come! How can you not? Creamy, luxurious brie cheese melted right into the sauce, coating tender pasta, would be a dream come true all by itself. But then Delicious Sunshine Pasta also features bacon and mushrooms with just a touch of bright lemon... just thinking about it makes our mouths water! Delicious Sunshine Pasta is just what you need to make your evening meal sunny!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon, thick-sliced, chopped 1/2-inch pieces
- 10 ounces pasta, such as fusilli or rotini
- 1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced, plus 1 clove garlic, chopped, divided
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 (7-ounce) wheel triple-cream brie cheese, top rind removed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped
- green onions, optional, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 -In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon pieces and cook, while stirring often, until they are crispy and the fat has rendered, about 7-8 minutes.
Step 3 -Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
Step 4 -Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, draining the remainder. Set the bacon grease aside.
Step 5 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook it to al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 6 -Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, draining the remainder.
Step 7 -Rinse the pasta under cold water and set it aside.
Step 8 -In the same cast-iron skillet used to cook the bacon, over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook, while stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 9 -Add the reserved bacon grease, the shallots, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and stir until evenly coated.
Step 10 -Cook the mushroom mixture until the shallots are softened, about 2 minutes.
Step 11 -Add 2 of the sliced garlic cloves and the thyme to the mushroom mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 12 -Add the wine to the mushroom mixture and cook, while stirring lightly, until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Step 13 -Reduce the heat to low.
Step 14 -Add the heavy cream and the Dijon mustard to the mushroom mixture and stir until combined.
Step 15 -Add the cooked pasta, the reserved pasta water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining salt to the mushroom mixture and fold to combine.
Step 16 -Create a well in the center of the pasta mixture.
Step 17 -Add the brie wheel to the well in the pasta mixture.
Step 18 -Cover the skillet with foil and bake until the brie has melted, about 15 minutes.
Step 19 -In a small bowl, add the pine nuts, the remaining chopped garlic, the lemon zest, the basil, and the remaining salt and whisk until well-combined. Set the pine nut mixture aside.
Step 20 -Transfer the skillet to a cooling rack.
Step 21 -Optionally remove the remaining rind from the brie wheel. Stir the pasta mixture to incorporate the melted brie, making sure it is evenly coated and gently breaking up the brie with a wooden spoon.
Step 22 -Garnish the pasta mixture with the green onions.
Step 23 -Serve the pasta mixture topped with the crispy bacon pieces and the pine nut mixture.
