Spicy, creamy pasta dish!

Yes, I went a little bit naughty last night ... in fact, I had a bit of a "naughty" day all told, food-wise, but let's not go into that!

First, I fried some sliced chorizo in a hot pan (no added oil), then added some diced bacon; when these were pretty much cooked, I added four large chopped mushrooms, some black pepper and a few squirts of light olive oil (the natural, Filippo Berio one, not Fry Light) and continued to cook and stir occasionally.  Meanwhile, I put some water on to boil, in which to cook some Tripolini pasta (love the shape and texture - it feels a bit like vegetarian squid in your mouth!!).

When the mushrooms and meat were all cooked, I sprinkled in some dried tarragon and poured on some cream (double and extra thick - just what was left in the fridge), which I allowed to simmer and thicken with the other ingredients.  (I also added a bit of leftover sweetcorn from the fridge, which needed using up.)  We piled a huge salad onto half our plates, then the drained (undressed) pasta and finally the creamy sauce.  It had a bit of a kick from the chorizo, but was also creamy and delicious with the bacon and mushrooms.

V  For me, the best vegetarian alternative to this would be to just leave out the bacon and chorizo, then add a few chopped nuts of your choice for protein ... and maybe an onion for a softer finish.  The mushrooms, sweetcorn and cream already make a tasty dish, but you could add some paprika or chilli for a bit of heat, if you like.  Another idea would be to cook a vegeburger and add chopped bits of that to the creamy mushroom sauce.