Best Blt Pasta Bake Bacon Leeks And Tomatoes Recipes

BLT PASTA BAKE: BACON, LEEKS, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When the water reaches a boil, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chopped bacon and cook until crisp.
• While bacon is cooking, split the trimmed leeks in half lengthwise, lay the leeks cut side down and thinly slice into half-moons. Fill a large bowl with water and mix the leeks into the water.
• Allow the water to settle and the dirt and the grit to settle to the bottle of the bowl. Using your hands, draw the leeks from the water, taking care not to unsettle the dirt.
• Drain the cleaned leeks on a kitchen towel, pat dry and, and then add to the pan with the bacon. Season the leeks with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• To start the cheese sauce, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then add the flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together over the heat until the roux bubbles; cook for 1 minute more.
• Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring the sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside.
• Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Drain the pasta and add it back to the pasta pot. Combine the reserved leek mixture and the cheese sauce with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Combine the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese with the bread crumbs.
• Top the pasta with the mixture. Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bread crumbs are brown.

CHEF JOHN'S BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a heavy skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Hold a paper towel with tongs and mop up excess bacon grease with the paper towel, leave about 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the skillet.
• Stir minced garlic and lemon zest into bacon in the skillet and let cook in residual heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir creme fraiche into bacon mixture.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir in 2 cups of ditalini. Cook till tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Stir pasta thoroughly into bacon and creme fraiche mixture.
• Return skillet to medium heat. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Mix in arugula, stirring until wilted, about 30 seconds, and turn off heat.
• Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir again and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

BLT PASTA BAKE: BACON, LEEKS, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When the water reaches a boil, add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO and chopped bacon and cook until crisp. While the bacon is cooking, split the trimmed leeks in half lengthwise, lay the leeks cut side down, and thinly slice into half-moons. Fill a large bowl with water and mix the leeks into the water. Allow the water to settle and the dirt and grit to settle on the bottom of the bowl. Using your hands, draw the leeks from the water, taking care to not unsettle the dirt. Drain the cleaned leeks on a kitchen towel, pat dry, and then add to the pan with the bacon. Season the leeks with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• To start the cheese sauce, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then addthe flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together over the heat until the roux bubbles; cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring the sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside
• Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Drain the pasta and add it back to the pasta pot. Combine the reserved leek mixture and the cheese sauce with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese with the bread crumbs. Top the pasta with the mixture. Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bread crumbs are brown.

BLT CREAMY MAC 'N' CHEESE (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.
• While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve on top of the pasta.

PASTA AND BLT BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, lay the bacon in a large ovenproof skillet and cook over medium heat, turning once, until brown and slightly crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Break up the bacon into bite-size pieces.
• Return the skillet to medium heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juices, kale, crushed red pepper, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the kale wilts, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and mozzarella to the sauce and stir to thoroughly coat.
• Mix together the ricotta and Parmesan in a small bowl. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the bacon pieces and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional basil if using.

BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring occasionally to make sure it does not burn, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Turn heat to medium and add the tomatoes to the skillet, tossing them to coat in the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper. As the moisture from the tomatoes releases, scrape any browned bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pan (add a few tablespoons of the pasta water if you need to) and continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 5 to 7 minutes more. Add half the cooked bacon back to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the pasta directly to the skillet tossing to coat with the sauce. Add the arugula and 1/4 cup of the pasta water and carefully toss (you'll have a very full pan) until the arugula wilts. Add the cheese and an additional 1/4 cup pasta water and toss together until the cheese emulsifies and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add another 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen the sauce.
• Serve in bowls and top with remaining bacon. Pass the grated Pecorino Romano at the table and season with flaky salt, if desired.