Creamy Bacon Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake Food

CREAMY BACON PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
• In a large, oven-proof pan, fry the bacon until it starts to crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain off the bacon fat and reserve for cooking with.
• In the same pan, melt the butter and add the onion. Allow to cook until soft.
• Add the garlic and sage and cook for a minute before adding the flour.
• Stir the flour into the butter then whisk in the milk and cream. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. Remove from the heat then stir in the bacon, Parmesan and half of the grated cheese. Season to taste.
• Add the cooked pasta and some of the pasta cooking water. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. At this stage, the sauce should look quite thin. The pasta will absorb more sauce as it cooks so if it looks too dry at this stage, add more pasta cooking water.
• Top with the remaining cheese and more sage leaves if desired then place in the oven.
• Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.

CREAMY MUSHROOM, BACON AND SPINACH PASTA - LOW FAT

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
• Spray a pan with olive oil spray and sauté finely chopped onion, capsicum, bacon and garlic.
• When soft add mushrooms and as much or as little chilli as you like.
• Cook until soft.
• Put pasta into boiling water and bring back to the boil.
• Cook to your liking.
• Add dijon mustard and evaporated milk to the onion mix.
• Stir to combine and heat very gently until pasta is ready.
• If you like a'wetter' sauce add a small amount of the pasta cooking water to the onion/milk mixture.
• Place washed spinach leaves into a colander.
• When ready drain the pasta over the spinach.
• This will wilt the spinach- the only'cooking' it needs.
• Add the pasta/spinach mix to the sauce.
• Stir to combine.
• Serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and parmesan cheese if desired.
• **Note: In Australia, on the Weight Watchers points plan, WW bacon is 1/2 a point for 3 slices and the small tin (185ml) of carnation brand light and creamy evaporated milk is 3 points.

BACON & MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in boiling water in a large non-stick saucepan according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms and snip the bacon into bite-size pieces with scissors or a sharp knife.
• Reserve a few drops of the cooking water in a cup or bowl, then drain the pasta and set aside. Fry the bacon and mushrooms in the same pan until golden, about 5 mins. Keep the heat high so the mushrooms fry in the bacon fat, rather than sweat.
• Tip the pasta and reserved water back into the pan and stir over the heat for 1 min. Take the pan off the heat, spoon in the pesto and crème fraîche and most of the basil and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the remaining basil to serve.

CHICKEN, SPINACH & BACON ALFREDO PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Put the bacon rashers on a baking tray lined with foil and grill for 5 mins on each side until crisp. Leave to cool, then roughly chop.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or high-sided frying pan over a high heat. Season the chicken, then brown on both sides. Sprinkle over the oregano and add the garlic, then stir for another minute. Crumble in the stock cube and add 250ml water.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 15-20 mins, topping up with more water if the pan looks dry. Transfer the chicken to a board using tongs, then shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pan with the sauce.
• Whisk the flour into the cooking juices in the pan, turn up the heat and keep stirring until you have a smooth paste that clings to the chicken. Add 500ml water and the cream, then simmer, stirring occasionally for 8-10 mins, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 10 mins until it is just cooked but retains some bite. Drain.
• Add most of the parmesan, the mustard, spinach and half the chopped bacon to the sauce, then season to taste, if needed. Stir until the spinach has wilted, then stir in the cooked pasta.
• Tip the mixture into a large baking dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining parmesan and scatter over the top along with the tomatoes and remaining chopped bacon. The unbaked dish can now be frozen for up to two months (see below).
• To cook straightaway, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until the top is golden and crunchy and the sauce is bubbling.

CREAMY HAM & MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, then drain. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6, then melt a little butter in a large saucepan. Fry the mushrooms for a couple of mins, then scoop out and set aside. Use some kitchen paper to wipe out the pan.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pan, then add most of the onions and soften for 1 min. Stir in the flour for another min, then gradually stir in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce. Increase the heat and bubble the sauce, stirring for a few mins to thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in the ham and most of the cheese, then season to taste.
• Tip the pasta and mushrooms into a large ovenproof dish, then pour over the sauce and mix well in the dish. Scatter over the remaining cheese and spring onions, then bake for 10 mins until golden.

BACON MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• reheat oven to 375°.
• Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat.
• Drain well. Set cooked pasta aside.
• Cook bacon and set aside to cool.
• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté 8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
• Add sherry; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat.
• Place flour in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk.
• Bring mixture to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk.
• Remove from heat; add 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until melted.
• Add pasta and mushroom mixture to cheese mixture, crumble in the bacon, tossing well to combine.
• Spoon pasta mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
• Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.