This recipe from journalist Donna Portland’s adopted Nonna (Nina) who makes the most wonderful pasta sauce ‘Boscaiola’ style. It is quick and easy to prepare and can be used for any kind of pasta – tagliatelle, fettuccine linguine, gnocchi, spaghetti… best to use fresh pasta (of course)!  If you’re on a low carb diet you can use it over diced zucchini or other vegetables instead of pasta.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6) quantities are relaxed.  You can add more or use less according to your taste.

Your choice of fresh pasta

Olive oil for sautéing (if needed)

4-6 Bacon rashers 

300-600ml cream - thick or ‘cooking’

300ml sour cream

½ to 1 brown onion - finely chopped

2 garlic cloves – mashed or finely chopped

8-10 button mushrooms – sliced thinly

Chicken stock powder 

Salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Optional:  if you want to bulk out the meal, you can add cooked and diced chicken.

Method:

Slowly sauté the onions with the garlic – set aside.

Cook the bacon rashers on med/high heat to brown and crisp up – set aside but reserve the bacon fat.

Use the bacon fat to cook the mushrooms – but do not overcook.  Set aside.

Return the onions, garlic and bacon to the frypan and add the cream.  Slowly mix whilst the cream heats and reduces.  Add the chicken stock – 1-2 spoons to taste.  It’s a question of how salty you like things, so make sure that you taste it before serving and only add salt if needed. Add cracked black pepper to taste.

Slowly stir in the sour cream and reduce heat to the lowest.  You can even switch it off if it’s reached the consistency you like.  If you are adding chicken, stir it in now. 

Using a large saucepan boil the water for the pasta (with a little salt and oil) according to the instructions.  The way to tell if pasta is ready is when it rises to the top of the saucepan. You can also taste it.  Drain water when ready and add to the pasta bowls for serving. 

To finish the sauce, when the pasta is cooking, turn the heat on medium and add back the mushrooms.  They are added last so that they aren’t too soft! Once the sauce is hot it can be spooned over the pasta in the bowls.  Garnish with parmesan on top.