Sometimes you just need a great pasta dish. This Fusilli Pasta Bake with Bacon and Zucchini could be just what you’re looking for. Tender pasta noodles wrapped up in a creamy Gouda cheese sauce with salty bacon, zucchini and red peppers. A dish you can made in advance, pop in the fridge and bake just before serving. A great mid week dinner for the whole family.
Comfort food at it’s best! Much like my Bowtie Pasta and Broccoli Bake and the Tomato & Mozzarella Baked Penne, this one’s a keeper! This was a cleaning out the fridge for lunch dish and it was delicious. Sometimes the tastiest dishes come from what’s left in the fridge. The addition of bacon gave this pasta dish a nice smoky flavour that I really loved. I don’t use bacon much at all, but was reminded of how much I like it!!!
Notes About The Pasta Dish
- This pasta dish uses cream and cheese, however it’s isn’t and overly creamy dish.
- If you would prefer a creamier dish, I would suggest doubling the amount of cream and adding maybe 1/2 cup more cheese.
- I used Gouda cheese in this recipe but you could use Cheddar or a mix of Gouda and parmesan cheese.
Here’s Some More Great Pasta Bakes You’ll Love
Fusilli Pasta Bake with Bacon & Zucchini
Ingredients
- 14 oz fusilli pasta
- 1 Cup cream
- 2 Cups Gouda cheese grated & divided
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Small bunch of fresh chopped basil
- 1 Red pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 Zucchini diced into about 1 inch pieces
- 4 Strips bacon
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, grease a 8 x 5 inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Add the peppers and zucchini and cook stirring occasionally for about 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve the skillet and cook the bacon for about 2 minutes per side. Remove bacon, drain on kitchen towels and roughly chop it up.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter until it bubbles and then add in the cream. Bring to a soft boil and reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and whisk to completely melt it into the cream. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and add the fresh basil.
- Cook pasta al dente. Remove and drain.
- Pour the pasta in you baking dish. Add the vegetables and bacon and stir well. Pour over sauce and give a good stir. Top with extra grated Gouda cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve straight away.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
