Crispy Bacon Mac & Cheese

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • 1 x 150g pack O'Neills Dry Cured Bacon Lardons
  • Large pot of  salted water
  • 400g pasta
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 50g butter
  • 2tbsp plain flour
  • 500ml milk
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 100g grated mozzarella
  • 50g mature cheddar cheese
  1. Firstly, get that pot of water on to boil. Cook the pasta  according to pack instructions but definitely use dried pasta: it takes longer to cook, thus you’ll have that lovely flavorsome starchy pasta water. Keep about a cup aside.
  2. Add the oil to a cast iron pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Set it aside and keep warm. Add the butter to the remaining fat in the pan, let this melt and add the garlic. Stir through the flour and let it cook for a minute.  Add the milk, a little at a time. Add a cup of the pasta water to this mixture and then the cheese.
  3. Add in the pasta, stirring to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon into serving bowls and top with the crispy bacon. Serve at once.