Cheesy Bacon And Leek Pasta Bake Food

CHEESY BACON AND LEEK PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add tomatoes; toss gently to combine.
• Meanwhile, in a 10-inch nonstick skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. (If desired, set aside 2 Tbsp. bacon for topping.) Add leeks to reserved drippings; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir bacon and leeks into pasta mixture in the pot. Transfer mixture to a 2- to 2 1/2-qt. au gratin or baking dish.
• Add reserved pasta water to skillet, scraping up any crusty brown bits. Boil gently, uncovered, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add cream. Boil gently, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture.
• Bake, covered, 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. If using, top with reserved 2 Tbsp. bacon.Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BACON AND LEEK PASTA BAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Start by boiling a pan of water and then cook the pasta for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, sieve and run under the cold tap to stop it cooking further. Then set it aside in the baking dish.
• At the same time fry the bacon until the majority of fat has rendered and it is crispy. Then put it aside on a plate until cool, and chop into small 1cm size pieces and place in the baking dish.
• Before chopping the leeks make sure you have cleaned them properly by running a knife length ways and running them under a cold tap to get rid of any dirt that may be inside them. Then chop them laterally into 1cm thick pieces. I use the leek up to about half way up from the transition from white to green, so there is a mix of white and green.
• Next melt 25g of butter in a pan and use it to sweat the leeks on a low heat until they are soft. Do not burn them. When done, add to the pasta and bacon.
• At the same time make the white sauce: melt the 50g piece of butter in a saucepan and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the flour and mix together and cook for another minute.
• Then slowly add the milk bit by bit, whisking with a hand whisk to get rid of any lumps. Cook until it starts to get thick, then add the cheddar cheese to the sauce, stirring all the time. Finally add the cream, the cream cheese and the nutmeg, and season to taste, mixing all the time.
• Then mix all the contents of the baking dish and add the sauce to the contents and stir properly to make sure the sauce settles to the bottom and covers the pasta.
• Then cover the top with breadcrumbs, (not too much) and sprinkle the Parmesan on the top.
• The mix can now be covered with tin foil and put into the fridge until ready to cook. To cook, place uncovered in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbling away.

PASTA WITH BACON AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the skillet.
• Add the leeks to the drippings in the skillet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with the parmesan, half of the bacon and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen. To serve, top with the remaining bacon, more parmesan and parsley.

CHEESY LEEK & BACON PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the leeks and 2 tbsp water, and cook for about 10 mins until very soft. Add the bacon, turn up the heat and fry until cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain and reserve a mug of the cooking water.
• Spoon cheese into the leek and bacon mix, adding some of the reserved cooking water. Season and stir gently over a low heat until melted. Toss through the cooked pasta, adding a little more cooking water, if needed, to help the sauce coat the pasta.

EASY PASTA BAKE WITH LEEK AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Bring a second large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook leek for 2 minutes while penne is cooking. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Grease a baking dish with some butter.
• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan over low heat until hot. Whisk in Emmentaler cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Mix cooked penne and leek and add to the prepared baking dish. Pour cheese sauce on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

CHICKEN & LEEK PASTA BAKE WITH A CRUNCHY TOP

Steps:

• For the base, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a few mins, stirring all the time. Now, using a whisk or spatula, carefully stir in the milk, a little at a time, making sure the sauce stays smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of mins until it thickens - it will be very thick. Turn the heat right down and keep cooking for 5 mins, stirring often.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry all of the chicken in batches until it starts to colour lightly at the edges. Scoop out each batch of chicken and put it on a plate. Add the onion to the pan if you are using it, and cook over a low heat until soft. Add the chicken and any juices and the onion to the white sauce, fold it in and cook the mixture for a further 15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. If you're making the base ahead of time, you can leave it to cool at this stage then freeze in an airtight container for up to a month. (Defrost fully before using in the next step.)
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Put the leeks in a pan with a little water, cover and cook until very soft. Drain, then return to the pan with the courgette, pesto and soft cheese, stir everything together, add the chicken base and stir well, then heat until just bubbling. Add a splash of water if it's very thick.
• Stir the pasta into the chicken mixture and tip into a large baking dish. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and grill the top until it browns.

CHEESY PASTA, LEEK AND BACON BAKE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in boiling water until al-dente and drain.
• Meanwhile saute the leeks, bacon and mushrooms in a pan until soft and cooked. Put to one side. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Melt the butter in a pan and add the garlic clove taking care not to let it.
• start to burn. Add the flour bit by bit to create a roux (paste).
• Bit by bit add the milk stirring all the time (you might want to change to a whisk) until you have a smooth white sauce. Add 3/4 of the grated cheese and the mustard and stir until melted.
• Stir the leek mixture and the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour into a baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and sliced tomatoes and spinkle with herbs.
• Bake in the oven for 20-30 mintues until hot and bubbling.

CHEESY LEEK & SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the oil in a large pan, tip in the leeks and splash in a little hot water. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until no longer squeaky.
• While the leeks are cooking, boil the penne in salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, tip the crème fraîche, sundried tomatoes and mustard into the leeks, add three-quarters of the cheese and season well. Stir until the cheese melts. Take off the heat.
• Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the sauce and stir, adding enough cooking water to make the sauce coat the pasta. Stir in the spinach, a big handful at a time, until it wilts, splashing in a little more water if needed. Toss in the remaining cheese and serve.

CHEESY LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the leeks into a steamer basket and steam for 6-8 mins until bright green and just becoming tender.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter and flour together in a saucepan, stirring until you have a thick paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, stirring continuously until all the milk has been added. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in most of the Yeo valley Organic mature cheddar, the mustard and some seasoning.
• Fold the steamed leeks into the cheese sauce, then tip everything into an ovenproof baking dish. Scatter over the breadcrumbs, thyme and remaining cheese, then bake for 20 mins until golden, crisp on top and bubbling at the edges. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

CHEESY LEEK & PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Cook pasta according to package directions. Steam leeks until just tender over the boiling pasta.
• Put shells in a buttered casserole dish. Top with the leeks and season lightly with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and thyme over the top.
• Put milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add cheeses and stir to melt. If sauce seems a bit thin, you can thicken it by adding the 2tsp cornstarch to 2 Tbsp water and adding this mixture to the milk & cheese mixture and cook until thickened.
• Pour the sauce over the leeks and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden.