Wild Mushrooms with Bacon and Orecchiette Pasta

This dish was created to show off some beautiful mushrooms I got at the farmer's market. I used Yellowfoot and Lobster mushrooms, but other wild mushrooms could be substitued. I wouldn't use button mushrooms from the supermaket for this dish though, the flavor will not be intense enough to carry the dish.

2 1/2 cups wild mushrooms brushed clean of dirt and ripped into uniform pieces
1/2 yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2c)
4 slices bacon cut into small pieces
3 ounces cream cheese
1 lb orecchiette pasta (farfalle will do if orecchiette cannot be found)
salt and pepper
8T chives, chopped

Set a large pot of water on to boil and boil the pasta for the recommended time on the package (until al dente). Strain (do not rinse) and reserve 1/4c of the pasta water. Place the hot pasta back into the pot with the reserved pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon until mostly crisp in a medium sautee pan. Set the bacon aside, pouring off all but 2T of the grease. Sautee the onion in the bacon grease. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the mushrooms and sautee until soft. Add the crisp bacon and set aside

Add the cream cheese to the hot, strained pasta and stir until melted. Add the mushroom and bacon mixture and stir until combined. Season to taste, pour into four bowls and garnish with 2T of chives per bowl.

Serves 4