Pasta with cream and dried mushrooms

Ingredients

• 100 g of lightly smoked bacon, or organic smoked pork belly
• 40 cl of cream
• 1 medium to large onion
• 20 g of dried mushrooms (such as “carrérettes” or “cama-secs”)
• white pepper
• soft butter and olive oil
• 300 to 400g of spaghetti or tagliatelle
• A little milk, if desired
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
• 1 clove of garlic, optional

Clean the dried mushrooms thoroughly, removing any sand, then soak them in just enough water to cover them.

Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a deep pan with oil and a little butter.

Before he starts cooking, add the bacon strips, brown them for a few moments, then remove from the heat.

Pour the cream, the mushrooms with their soaking liquid, the pepper to your liking (a pinch of spice is nice), and the salt. You can also add a half-cup of milk.

Blend with an immersion blender and let it simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom.

If you want to thicken it, add grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve the sauce over hot pasta, with grated cheese and a little butter.

Without pork: replace the butter with a little more oil, the bacon with a handful of toasted almonds and hazelnuts, and add a clove of garlic during the final cooking stage. Add a little Parmesan cheese towards the end of cooking, stirring well to prevent it from clumping.