Bacon Pasta Bake
Ingredients :
- 1 tablespooon grateed Parmesan cheese or as needed
- 450g penne pasta
- 450g thick rashers streaky bacon, cut into 1.25cm pieces
- 50g butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 tablespoons plain flour
- 950ml milk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 400g grated Cheddar cheese, divided
1. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease a 23x33cm or similar sized baking dish and sprincle 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese around the inside of the dish.
2. FIll a large pot with lightly salted water adnbring to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, stir the penne and return to the boil. COok the penne uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the past has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 mins. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
3. Place the bacon pecies into a large, deep frying pan and cook over medium-high heat,stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on a kitchen towel-lined plate. Retain 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings. Set the bacon drippings aside
4. Melt butter drippings together in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, stirring frequently until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in the thyme, salt and pepper, then whisk in 4 tablespoons Parmesan and around 350g of Cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until the cheddar cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
5. Stir the cooked penne pasta into the cheese sauce, then lightly mix in the cooked bacon. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheeseover the top. Cover the dish with foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the pasta until the pasta is hot and bubbling , about 25 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and turn on the grill. Remove the foil and grill the dish until the cheese topping is browned and crips, about 5 minutes
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