Bacon Cheese Baked Pasta

A comforting, golden-baked spiral pasta featuring crispy bacon, sautéed aromatics, and a rich, creamy cheese sauce with a perfectly toasted, bubbly crust.

Ingredients

• 200 g spiral pasta
• 100 g bacon
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 50 ml white wine
• 100 g hard cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Dice the white onion

   

   Place the white onion on a cutting board and use a chefs knife to dice it into small, uniform pieces. This provides a flavorful base for the creamy pasta sauce.

   Tip: To prevent crying while cutting, use a sharp knife and keep the root end of the onion intact until the final dicing step.
2. 2Mince the garlic

   

   Peel the garlic cloves and mince them finely using your knife. Mincing ensures that the garlic flavor distributes evenly throughout the dish.

   Tip: Crushing the garlic lightly with the flat side of your knife before mincing can help release more of its aromatic oils.
3. 3Cut the bacon

   

   Cut the bacon slices into small, bite-sized pieces approximately 1 cm wide. Using these smaller pieces allows the bacon to crisp up uniformly when stir-fried.

   Tip: If the bacon is too slippery to cut, chill it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it firmer and easier to slice.
4. 4Grate the cheese

   

   Using a hand grater, shred the hard cheese into small, uniform pieces. Freshly grated cheese melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded varieties.

   Tip: Grate the cheese directly into a bowl to keep your workspace tidy.
5. 5Boil the pasta

   

   Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a spoonful of salt, and pour in the spiral pasta. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until al dente.

   Tip: Salt the water generously—it should taste like the sea—to ensure the pasta is flavorful from the inside out.
6. 6Prepare the pasta

   

   Once the pasta is cooked and drained, drizzle a little olive oil over it and mix well. This coating helps prevent the pasta from sticking together while you prepare the sauce.

   Tip: Use a light, quality olive oil for the best flavor and texture.
7. 7Fry the bacon

   

   Add the cut bacon pieces to the pan over medium heat. Stir-fry them until the fat renders out and the pieces turn a beautiful golden yellow.

   Tip: Fry until golden to ensure a rich, smoky flavor base for your sauce.
8. 8Sauté the aromatics

   

   Add the diced white onion and minced garlic to the pan with the bacon. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently until the onions become soft and translucent.

   Tip: Softening the onions ensures they meld perfectly into the creamy sauce later.
9. 9Deglaze with white wine

   

   Pour a splash of white wine into the pan. Increase the heat to high and let the liquid reduce by about one-quarter to concentrate the flavors.

   Tip: The wine adds an essential brightness that balances the richness of the cream.
10. 10Create the creamy sauce

    

    Pour the heavy cream into the pan with the bacon and sautéed aromatics. Stir well to combine everything into a smooth, cohesive sauce base.

    Tip: If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a little bit of the reserved pasta cooking water to reach your desired consistency.
11. 11Toss in the pasta

    

    Add the cooked spiral pasta into the pan with the creamy bacon sauce. Toss thoroughly so that every piece of pasta is evenly coated.

    Tip: Using spiral pasta helps trap the creamy sauce in its ridges for every bite.
12. 12Season to taste

    

    Season the pasta mixture with a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well to ensure the flavors are distributed evenly throughout the dish.

    Tip: Season cautiously with salt since the bacon already provides a salty element.
13. 13Incorporate Cheese

    

    Add half of the grated cheese into the pan with the pasta and cream sauce. Stir thoroughly to ensure the cheese is fully melted and integrated, creating a rich and creamy texture.

    Tip: If the sauce becomes too thick, splash in a little bit of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
14. 14Top with Cheese

    

    Evenly sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the surface of the pasta mixture. This final layer will create a golden, bubbly, and delicious crust when baked.

    Tip: Ensure the cheese covers the pasta evenly so that it browns uniformly in the oven.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions