Summer Sizzlers: Enjoy a taste of Italy with this creamy bacon, mushroom and leek linguine

By Brian Stormont

July 16 2021, 5:00pm

This week, we bring you a taste of Italy with this recipe for a creamy linguine dish.

Bacon, mushroom and leak is a classic combination, being three ingredients that complement each other so well.

Taking inspiration from the popular carbonara dish, this recipe from the team at Gousto combines mushrooms and leeks with creme fraiche to make a quick, decadent sauce.

Top your pasta with cheese, chives and crispy bacon before serving for a truly spectacular Summer Sizzler that you will return to again and again.

And remember if you have missed any of the recipes in this series you can find them all by clicking here.

Creamy bacon, mushroom and leek linguine

Serves 2

Ingredients

90g British dry cured smoked streaky bacon
80g chestnut mushrooms
1 leek
190g linguine
Knob of butter
3 garlic cloves
5.5g chicken stock mix
100g creme fraiche
40g cheddar cheese
5g chives
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method

Boil a kettle and chop the smoked streaky bacon roughly.
Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a medium to high heat. Once hot, add the chopped bacon and cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Once done, transfer to kitchen paper and reserve the pan.
Slice the chestnut mushrooms finely and wash the leek carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves, then top, tail and slice finely. Peel and slice the garlic. Return the pan to a medium heat and once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 2-3 mins, or until beginning to soften.
While the mushrooms cook, add the linguine to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the linguine for 8-10 mins or until cooked with a slight bite. Once done, drain the linguine, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water
Once the mushrooms are beginning to soften, add a large knob of butter to the pan with the chopped leek and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-7 mins or until everything’s softened. Meanwhile, dissolve the chicken stock mix in 150ml boiled water. Once the vegetables have softened, add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook for an additional minute.
Add the chicken stock with the creme fraiche and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook for 2-3 mins further or until thickened to make your sauce.
Grate the cheddar cheese and chop the chives finely.
Add the drained linguine to the creamy mushroom and leek sauce with a small splash of starchy pasta water and stir it all together.
Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed and cook for 1-2 mins further or until the sauce begins to stick to the pasta to complete the dish.
Serve the creamy mushroom and leek linguine topped with the grated cheese, crispy bacon and chopped chives. Season with a good grind of black pepper.