Creamy Pancetta Pasta with Mushrooms - 30 Minute Family Dinner

This creamy pancetta and mushroom pasta is the ultimate weeknight comfort food. Rich, indulgent, and ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a dinner the whole family will love. With crispy pancetta, tender mushrooms, and a luscious Parmesan creamy sauce, it’s easy to make but tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant. Perfect for busy evenings when you want something hearty, quick, and utterly delicious.

It's great to have a set of go-to recipes when you need to get dinner on the table fast. This simple pasta dish definitely falls into that category.

In this easy pasta dish, pancetta (diced bacon works great too), diced onions and mushroom are sautéed in the same pan to bring out their umami flavor. Then pasta is mixed in with a creamy cheesy sauce. Midweek bliss!

Penne pasta was my pasta of choice for this creamy mushroom and pancetta sauce, since that's what I had in my cupboard. But you can use any variety of pasta that you have in your kitchen.

Why You Should Make This Pancetta & Mushroom Pasta

• Prepared and on the table in 30 minutes, this pasta dish is the perfect mid week dinner.

• This dish can be made with ready chopped pancetta and ready sliced mushrooms if you're really short on time.

• Cooking the bacon until the fat renders and then sautéing the onions and mushrooms in the same pan gives a great depth of flavor which forms the basis of this sauce.

• Creamy pasta recipes are always popular with kids! Anything that moves mine away from Mac and Cheese is fine by me 😉

• Love fast pasta dishes? Try these other favorites: Creamy Pancetta, Pea & Mint Pasta, Smoked Salmon Creme Fraiche Pasta, Baked Feta Pasta, Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Easy Weeknight Spaghetti & Meatballs, Pasta Napoli.

Creamy Pancetta & Mushroom Pasta Ingredients

Find the full list and quantities in the recipe below.

Pasta - use any shape of noodle in this dish. I have used penne, but use what you have in your own larder.

Pancetta - I have used a pack of diced pancetta since I find these so convenient. You can use smoked or unsmoked pancetta, but smoked does give the best flavor. If you can't find pancetta, cut up some bacon and use that instead.

Mushrooms - any variety of mushroom will work in this dish, or a mixture of different mushrooms if you prefer.

Onion - I have used a red onion for the base of the sauce, however, any variety of onion will work - yellow, white or green onions. Use what you have in your larder.

White Wine - any dry white wine will work here. However if you don't want to use alcohol, no problem - add a splash or two more stock instead.

Heavy Cream - heavy cream (double cream) adds a velvety texture to the pasta sauce but you can substitute with light cream or lower fat creme fraiche.

Parmesan - adds a salty, savory element. A good substitute would be with Pecorino or Grana Padano, which are both great tasting Italian cheeses.

How to Make Bacon & Mushroom Pasta

Find the full printable recipe below.

Boil the pasta in a large pot of water with plenty of salt according to packet instructions then drain and set aside. Reserve a cup of the pasta-cooking water too.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the pancetta in a large skillet until the fat renders.

Saute the red onion in the same pan then add and cook sliced mushrooms.

Add the garlic then white wine. Allow the wine to reduce then add the stock.

Allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes before stirring in the cream and parmesan.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet.

Serve with more grated parmesan and fresh parsley once the pasta has reheated in the sauce.

What is the best pasta to use for creamy sauces?

Traditionally a wider noodle is served with creamy sauces. Something like tagliatelle or pappardelle have plenty of width for the sauce to stick to. And they are great for mopping up a creamy pasta sauces.

I have used penne pasta noodles in this recipe purely because it's what I happened to have in my pantry. However, you could also use fusilli or farfalle.

What can I use instead of Pancetta?

Smoked bacon is the best substitute for pancetta. Make sure to use the streaky kind with lots of fat content rather than Canadian or British style back bacon.

Simply cut into squares and cook until the fat renders and the bacon crisps.

If you don't eat pork, a smoked turkey bacon will work too.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use any shape of pasta that your family enjoy eating (or whatever you happen to have in your kitchen).

• To make this dish gluten free, simply substitute with your favorite gluten free pasta.

• For a vegetarian alternative, replace the pancetta with some sundried tomatoes, the chicken stock with some vegetable stock, and the Parmesan cheese with a suitable vegetarian alternative.

• Wild mushrooms would also really elevate this dish. Shiitake mushrooms work too.

• If you like this recipe why not try my Creamy Mushroom Pasta, a simple and delicious vegetarian pasta option. If you're a mushroom lover, have you tried my Mushroom Noodle Soup or this popular one-pot Chicken Alexander recipe.

Tips and Tricks

• When cooking the mushrooms don't overcrowd the pan. Give them space in the pan to brown properly as this is how they develop their flavor.

• Take care when seasoning the pasta sauce as the pancetta will be a little salty. I always taste as I go along, that way I avoid over salting.

• Use the best quality parmesan you can - it makes all the difference in giving that nutty, umami finish.

• When cooking pasta, always hold back a cup of the pasta water. This is ideal to add in slow increments to the finished sauce if it's looking a little thick and gives a great silky texture.

How to Serve

This pasta dish is a meal on its own, rich and filling with veggies already in the mix. If you want to add a side I would keep it simple - a dressed green salad or a colorful Tomato and Burrata salad would be ideal.

Reheating

Reheated pasta isn't going to be as good as freshly made - but if you want to reheat this the best way is on a low heat in a pan with a splash or water or milk to make sure it doesn't dry out. I don't recommend using a microwave as the texture will go mushy.

Can you freeze Pancetta Pasta

This pasta dish is not suitable for freezing as the penne will lose it's texture.

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This post was shared with the #cookblogshare community, which this week was kindly hosted by Kate at Gluten Free Alchemist.