13/10/2023
Bacon and Cheese Pasta Bake
I first made this when I didn’t have enough bacon in the house to feed the five of us but I still needed to make a good meal. So it was going to be bacon-and-cheese macaroni-type dish. It has now developed into the following recipe. I have made this with most pasta shapes, and even spaghetti works well.
3–4 rashers bacon, chopped into small strips
2 garlic cloves, chopped 500ml milk
1 tablespoon corn flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1⁄3 pack light soft cream cheese
Black pepper and salt to taste
150g mature
Cheddar, grated
500g of any pasta you like
50g breadcrumbs
1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C / gas mark 6.
2. Fry the bacon gently in its own fat as much as possible, or add a little sunflower oil. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in all the milk except 2 tablespoons, use this to mix with the corn flour and heat to simmer. Add the corn flour and milk paste and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
4. Add the chives. Reduce the heat to a simmer for a few minutes to cook the corn flour, then add the cream cheese and stir it in well. Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
5. Stir in half the Cheddar. Remove the sauce from the heat while you cook the pasta according to the packet directions
6. Put the pasta into an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce.
7. Combine the rest of the cheese and the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and serve with a crunchy salad.
Variation
If you wish, you can serve the sauce and pasta without putting it in the oven. Just sprinkle the top with the cheese and omit the breadcrumbs.
