Creamy Pasta Skillet with Baby Bella Mushrooms

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir until mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Add bacon and onion and cook and stir until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in oregano, basil, dried parsley, dried onion, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and salt, which should soak up any grease or liquid in the pan. At this point, everything should look like it's covered in almost a paste.

Step 3

Stir in Alfredo sauce. Pour in 2 cups of milk; pour remaining 1/2 cup into the Alfredo sauce jar to clean out and pour into the skillet. Mix everything together over low heat; things will be very thin and runny, and that is what you want. Add mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and let simmer until thickened.

Step 4

Fold drained pasta into the sauce. Plate up portions and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.