Bacon and Cheese Pasta

Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 400ml cream
- 550ml milk
- 1 tsp thyme
- 3 cups grated cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 500g penne pasta, cooked as per packet instructions
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- Seasonal salad of 60g salad greens, 1 grated carrot and 1 sliced tomato
Method
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1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
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2. Place onion and garlic on to tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up to seal then roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil.
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3. Chop onion and garlic. Reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat in a large pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in cream, milk and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheese until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a large casserole dish.
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4. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, breadcrumbs, butter and parsley.
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5. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve with salad.
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TIP: Short on time? Skip step 2 and go straight to step 3. Just cook onion and garlic a little longer until softened.
By Brett McGregor