Editor's Rating

Very easy to whip up!

5
Skill Level
9.5
"Delish" Level
8.5
Instagrammability

I found a packet of bacon bits inside my freezer and a box of unopened cream in the fridge. I was supposed to use that bacon to make some Potato Salad and the cream for a dessert, but I was on dinner duty so I had to think quick. LOL. I ended whipping up this super easy recipe with a “bit of healthy” twist. It won’t take you an hour to prepare this. I swear! (Excuse my haphazard way of writing this recipe, as I am also answering some customer inquiries onΒ my bakeshop page.) Check out *chef’s notes for alternatives or other instructions.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup bacon bits (or sliced bacon if you prefer)
  • 4 slices ham (cut into squares)
  • 1/2 cup button mushrooms (pieces and stems*)
  • 2 cups all-purpose cream
  • 2 medium broccoli heads*
  • about 300 to 350 grams Conchiglie* (pasta shells)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. fish sauce
  • grated parmesan cheese*

Procedure:

  • In a pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions (unless you are using fresh pasta).
  • In a separate pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic and onions.
  • Add in bacon and ham. (Wait until the oil from bacon and ham comes out.)
  • Add in mushrooms and broccoli.

  • When broccoli is almost cooked, pour in the cream and simmer.
  • Stir the mixture to make sure that the cream won’t burn on the sides and bottom of the pan.

  • Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of fish sauce to tone down the sweetness of the cream.
  • Add in cooked pasta.
  • Top with grated Parmesan cheese.*
  • Enjoy!~~

*Chef’s Notes:

  • If pieces and stems of button mushrooms are not available in your country/area, you can also use whole button or straw mushrooms and slice them into pieces.
  • For this recipe, you can use a different kind of pasta aside from Conchiglie or most commonly known as pasta shells. I would personally use penne or rigatoni pasta, if shells are not available. You might ask me, why not pasta noodles? Well… you can use Spaghettini or Angel-Hair pasta, but personally I don’t want it because of the broccoli. I want the cuts of the ingredients to be “almost” uniform in sizes. I would use pasta noodles if I was using asparagus instead of broccoli which you might also prefer.
  • You can also add in a different kind of cheese like Pecorino, Feta, or Cheddar. It’s just that personally, I prefer Parmesan (or Ricotta if it’s available) because of its subtle taste and lesser fat content. We wouldn’t want a stronger cheese flavor as it might overpower the saltiness of the bacon and ham.Β 

HAPPY COOKING!!!