What’s a dream come true? For me, it’s soft pasta drenched in a creamy cheese sauce and lots of Bacon on top. This dish is easy to make and takes less time, yet it’s so delicious. You can make cheese sauce at your home, or you can buy nacho cheese sauce from any store in Australia.
I often cook this classic dish for dinner, and my husband and kids absolutely loves it. The best part of this dish is, I can hide some healthy veggies inside the crispy layer of cheese for my kids, and they won’t even notice it.
Here is the recipe, put on your chef cap, and get ready to cook the gooey and creamy pasta.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Pasta 2 Cups
Butter 2 Tablespoons
Garlic 1 Clove, minced
Onion 1, finely chopped
All-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons
Pepper ¼ Tablespoon
Cheese Sauce 1 Cup
Milk 1 Cup
Mexican Shredded Cheese 2 Cups
Bacon 1 Cup, cut into chunks
Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons
Salt to taste
Directions
- Take a large pot and add 4 Cups of water (just enough to cover pasta completely) with 2 tablespoons of oil and some salt (at least a tablespoon).
- Bring the water to the boil and add pasta and keep stirring so that they don’t stick to each other.
- Check the cooking time in the package and test it 2 minutes before time.
- Once it is soft and chewy, drain it, and set aside.
- Place a saucepan on medium heat, add onion, salt, pepper, and bacon and cook for about 7 minutes.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and store it for later.
- In the same pan, add butter and sauté garlic for 1 minute.
- Stir in flour and slowly pour milk.
- Reduce heat and add cheese sauce, sprinkle pepper, mix it well and remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Meanwhile, grease a baking dish and add pasta, ½ bacon, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and add remaining bacon and sprinkle Mexican shredded cheese.
- Again bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
- Serve while it’s hot.
Quick Tips:
- Bring water to rapid boil before adding pasta, adding it too soon will make your pasta gummy and sticky.
- To prevent sticking together, stir the pasta right after adding into the water and continue stirring occasionally.
- Don’t rinse the pasta, drain it and keep aside, rinsing it will flood away the starch.
- Drain the fat from the bacon; else it will end up being too greasy.
- Don’t bake the pasta for more than 5 minutes after adding cheese.
About the Author:
Rosemary Kobe is a homemaker who loves to play with her two little twin-toddlers at her homes in Sydney & Melbourne. She is one of the greatest foodies in Australia experimenting with a lot of dishes at home and occasionally heads out in search for delicious burgers in Sydney or Melbourne. If you know one – let her know in the comments below or mail me at [rosemariikobe@gmail.com]