Cheesy Baked Bechamel Pasta
This Cheesy Baked Bechamel Pasta features savory bacon bits, tender pasta, flavorful cheese, and richly seasoned white cream sauce. It's a delicious and satisfying comfort food that the whole family will love. The best part is it comes together quickly with just six main ingredients plus spices and only 15 minutes of hands-on time.
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz. box rotini pasta penne pasta, elbows, and bow ties also work well!
- 1/2 cup salted butter (one stick)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk (whole milk or 2%)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup bacon bits See Note 1
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, optional
- 2 tbsp salted butter for topping, optional
Instructions
- Prep: Cook pasta 1-2 minutes shorter than package instructions (pasta will continue to bake a bit in the oven). Drain and set aside. Then, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Make Sauce: In a large oven-proof skillet (See Note 2), melt butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add flour and whisk until you have a nice, smooth texture (about 2-3 minutes). Continue whisking and slowly add milk.
- Season: Add salt, garlic powder, ground pepper, smoked paprika, and nutmeg, if using. Whisk until everything is well-combined. Stir in the bacon bits and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
- Add Pasta: Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Sprinkle on the remaining cup cheese over the top of the pasta. Add pieces of butter (about 2 tablespoons) to the top of the pasta (OPTIONAL). Note: If you don't have an oven-proof pan, you can transfer the pasta mixture to an oven-safe baking dish.
- Bake: Bake pasta in preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until cheese is nice and golden and mixture is bubbly. Allow pasta to cool for a few minutes and serve!
Notes
Note 1: You can cook your own, fresh bacon bits or use good quality bacon bits from the store. I like these real bacon crumbles from Costco.
Note 2: I used a 5 quart braiser for this recipe. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet or pan, you can simply transfer the pasta mixture to an oven-safe baking dish in Step 4.
Nutrition is only an estimate based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator
Nutrition
Calories: 504kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 17.7gFat: 22.1gSaturated Fat: 12.8gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 697mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 9.5gVitamin D: 11µgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!