An easy family-pleasing dinner, this creamy cheesy pasta with sausage and crispy bacon can be ready, on the table, in 20 minutes. A fantastic comfort food dinner using simple everyday ingredients.
150g(1 ½ packed cups) grated mature/strong cheddar cheese
180ml(3/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
½tspblack pepper
2tbspfreshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
Place the sausages on a baking sheet and place in the oven to cook for approx 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Then remove from the oven and place on a chopping board.
4 good quality pork sausages
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water as per the cooking instructions, until al dente, then drain in a colander, reserving about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
400 g (14 oz) spirali pasta
While the pasta and sausages are cooking place a large frying pan over a medium heat to heat up.
Once hot, place the bacon in the pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes, turning once during cooking, until browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a chopping board.
8 rashers (strips) streaky bacon
Add the tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat that’s already in the frying pan.
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened.
1 onion
By now the pasta should be ready (remember to save a cup of the pasta water when draining the pasta). Add the drained pasta to the frying pan with the onion.
Add the cheese, cream, and pepper to the pan and stir together with the pasta until the cheese has melted.
150 g (1 ½ packed cups) grated mature/strong cheddar cheese, 180 ml (3/4 cup) double (heavy) cream, 1/2 tsp black pepper
Slice the cooked sausages and bacon on the chopping board and add to the pan with the pasta.
Stir everything together.
If you want to loosen the sauce slightly, add splashes of the pasta cooking water until the sauce is thinned to your liking.
Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve topped with fresh parsley and a little more black pepper if you like.
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Video
Notes
AdditionsWant to add in some vegetables? Add frozen peas to the pan with the pasta for the last minute of cooking the pasta. Add mushrooms, chopped chunks of peppers or courgette (zucchini) to the pan when you're frying the onions.Can I make it ahead?I don't recommend making this dish ahead as it loses its creaminess upon reheating, and the oils from the cheese can make the dish taste more oily.However.. I do love this dish served cold as a pasta salad. So if you wanted to make it ahead for that (or save any leftovers for lunch the next day), then that will work great. Just be sure to quickly cool and cover the dish and refrigerate. It should keep in the fridge for up to two days.Ingredient swaps
Swap the bacon for chorizo
Leave out the bacon and swap the sausage for vegetarian sausages for a vegetarian version.
Add veggies such as peas, mushrooms or spinach.
Swap out quarter of the cheddar for mozzarella if you wanted some stretchy cheese in there.
Nutritional information is approx, per serving, based on 6 servings. If you're dividing into 4 portions instead of 6, it will be 1155 calories per serving. I didn't say it was a light recipe 😁