Preparation / Directions:
Grease a 3-quart casserole or 13 x 9-inch baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for 8 minutes. Drain well. Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until almost crisp. Remove the bacon to a large plate; set aside. Stir the mushrooms into the drippings in the pan to lightly coat. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are wilted. Add the mushrooms to the bacon.
Add the butter to the skillet; raise the heat to medium-high. When the butter has melted, add the sliced onions to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring them frequently with a spatula, for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar, toss to mix and coat well, and partially cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the onions until they are caramelized to a rich golden color, 20-25 minutes. (Check occasionally and stir gently to make sure the onions do not burn,)
Add the reserved bacon and mushrooms to the onions. Pour in the chicken stock and toss to mix. Add the pasta and chopped parsley; mix well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole or dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake in the oven at 350F for about 40 minutes.
DO-AHEAD TIPS: Prepare the bacon, mushrooms and caramelized-onion mixture a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Toss with the pasta and broth and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses before baking. Freeze, baked, for up to l month. Defrost in the refrigerator; reheat for 50 minutes.
TIPS FOR FRESH PARSLEY: In addition to using leaves of fresh parsley, don't forget to chop some stems as well, they've got lots of lively fla
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