Usually, I don’t bake pasta, but ever since I stumbled upon these delightful recipes, I find myself frequently opting for baked pasta dishes. One of the advantages is that it allows me to tidy up the kitchen while the pasta is in the oven. Additionally, I can prepare the dish in advance and simply pop it into the oven if I happen to return home late. The convenience factor is truly remarkable! I highly recommend trying out this ham and mushroom pasta bake recipe—I assure you that you’ll also be smitten with its flavors!
Ingredients:
Bechamel sauce (White sauce)
- 10g Butter
- 10g Bread flour
- 200ml Milk
- 3g dijon mustard
- nutmeg
- white pepper
- salt
Pasta
- 200ml white sauce (above)
- 25g chedder cheese
- 100g button mushrooms (sliced)
- 40g bacon (I substituted this with ham)
- 60g onion (brunoise)
- 20g cream (I substituted this with milk)
- 150g pasta shells
- salt
- pepper
- 3g thyme (fresh or dried)
- Optional: Broccoli
The measurements provided above serve as a reference point and can be customized according to individual preferences. If there are specific ingredients that I desire in greater quantity in my pasta, such as mushrooms and onions, I have the flexibility to add more of them to suit my taste.
Method:
Bechamel sauce
- Warm the milk in a separate pot. Once there is steam, then turn off the heat.
- In a separate pot, cook the flour and butter on low heat until the roux is formed. Make sure to cook out the flour.
- Once the roux has formed, slowly add the milk little bit at a time until all the milk has been incorporated.
- Season with white pepper, salt, dijon mustard and a dash of nutmeg.
- Pass the sauce through a sieve to ensure no lumps.
The Pasta
- Sweat the onions and bacon/ ham on low heat for approximately 15 minutes until soft
- Add in the mushrooms and sweat the mushrooms on low heat
- Add thyme, bechamel sauce (white sauce) and cream/ milk and bring to a boil
- Boil the pasta shells for 5 minutes and drain. Ensure to save some pasta water to loosen up the sauce if it’s too thick later
- Add in the pasta to the bechamel sauce and mix together
- Transfer the pasta to a baking tray
- Top the pasta with a layer of parmesan cheese
- bake in the oven for approximately 30 to 40 minutes at 180C (until golden brown)
Notes:
- Bechamel sauce, known as one of the five mother sauces, holds great versatility. The fundamental version of this sauce comprises milk, flour, butter, and a hint of pepper. (Alternatively, you can replace this bechamel sauce with a store-bought white sauce!)
- In an effort to make this pasta bake “healthier” and reduce fat content, I substituted bacon with ham and cream with milk. However, using bacon and cream undoubtedly imparts a richer flavor and thicker consistency to the sauce.
- It is also possible to utilize uncooked pasta. In such cases, ensure the sauce has a slightly more liquid consistency, allowing the pasta to cook while baking, and adjust the baking time accordingly.
- To incorporate more vegetables into the dish and eliminate the need for separate cooking, I added broccoli after sautéing the mushrooms.
Hope you will also give this recipe a try. For more recipes, please visit my food & recipe page.
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