This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Bacon and mushroom pasta bake
A simple and satisfying family favourite
- Photo:
Shutterstock
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves 8+
Preparation
- Total time
- 40 Mins
- Preparation time
- 20 Mins
- Cooking time
- 20 Mins
400g pasta
400g bacon
1 packet of mushrooms
2 onions
750ml milk
150g Gruyère cheese
60g plain flour
60g butter
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 handful of parsley
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Oil (for frying)
Preheat the oven to 210° C.
Wash the onions and mushrooms and slice both finely. Wash and chop the parsley. Dice the bacon.
Boil the kettle and cook the pasta in a large saucepan for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the onions and crushed garlic in a medium-sized frying pan for two to three minutes.
When the onions have softened, add the bacon and chopped mushrooms and fry for a further 10 minutes, until nicely browned.
While the mushrooms and bacon are cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
When the butter has melted, add the flour, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps.
When the butter and flour have formed a smooth paste, gradually pour in the milk, stirring continuously, until you have a thick creamy bechamel sauce.
Season the sauce to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Drain the cooked pasta and pour into a baking dish. Stir in the mushroom and bacon mix and season with a handful of parsley. Pour over the bechamel sauce and mix to combine.
Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the pasta to form a thick topping.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and turned golden and crispy on top. Serve hot.
Tips
The trick to creating a smooth bechamel sauce is to stir consistently and vigorously. First combine the butter and flour, before adding the milk. Once you have a smooth paste and no dry flour remains, pour the milk in slowly, stirring all the time to make a thick, creamy sauce.
Variations
You can always swap the Gruyère for Cheddar, for a deliciously cheesy taste. Or add a few blobs of mozzarella for a scrummy stringy texture.
Trying to eat more veg? Stir in some sliced peppers, frozen peas or sweetcorn, or whatever other veg you like while you're frying the mushrooms and bacon.
Reviews
Lucy S(20)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Easy and soooo tasty! I like to bung in whatever veg I have lying around; courgette and aubergine work really well!
Reviewed on 03/08/21
