Mushroom and Bacon Rigatoni

Dice the thick-cut bacon.

Prepare the mushrooms. Scrape the gills from the portobello mushrooms and slice them. Clean and slice the cremini mushrooms.

Slice the yellow onion.

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon from the pot and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Add the sliced onions to the pot and sauté in the bacon fat until softened.

Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add all the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook until they have released their moisture and started to brown.

Return the cooked bacon to the pot and stir to combine.

Pour in the heavy cream and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese until it melts and the sauce thickens.

Add the finely chopped chives and stir to combine.

Add the cooked rigatoni to the pot with the sauce.

Stir everything together until the pasta is well-coated with the creamy sauce.

Serve immediately, garnishing with additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.