Easy Pasta Bake with Bacon and Leeks
If you’re after an easy, satisfying dinner that hits the spot every time, this easy pasta bake with bacon and leeks might just become a firm favourite. It’s warm, creamy, cheesy, and loaded with comforting flavours – exactly the kind of food you want on a cold, wet evening or when you need a bit of cheering up.
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In our house, this is one of my wife’s go-to requests. Any time she’s had a rough day, this is what I cook. There’s something about the crispy bacon, the sweet softened leeks and the bubbling cheese sauce that just lifts spirits.
Simple comfort food
One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s very low stress. You can prep it all in advance and simply pop it in the oven when you’re ready. That makes it ideal for busy weeknights, laid-back Sundays or even low-key dinner parties. It’s also a cracking way to use up what’s left in the fridge — especially if you’ve got some extra ham hanging around after a roast or festive meal.
Bacon, leeks and cheese – a winning combination
The flavour base here is built on gently frying leeks until they’re soft and fragrant, and then adding crispy bits of streaky bacon. If you’re watching calories, you can use back bacon or even swap in cooked ham. The sauce is a classic cheese roux – rich, creamy, and utterly moreish.
I like to add a generous handful of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top for that golden, crunchy finish. You could even add a few chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat.
Pasta choices and prep tips
I usually use penne, fusilli or conchiglie – anything that holds onto the sauce nicely. Make sure you cook the pasta until just al dente as it’ll carry on cooking in the oven.
This dish fills a 3-litre ovenproof dish comfortably and will feed 6–8 hungry people, or make plenty of leftovers if you’re meal prepping. It reheats really well too – just pop it in the oven covered with foil or microwave in a pinch.
Make it your own
Want to use up Christmas ham? Swap out the bacon for shredded ham or do a mix of both. Got picky kids? You can portion some without the leeks and they’ll still be happy. It’s a flexible recipe that you can adapt to whatever you’ve got to hand.
Honestly, it’s a bit like mac and cheese with bacon and leeks, just a bit more grown up. The result is creamy, comforting and packed full of taste.
So whether you’re looking for a new family favourite or just a way to use up what’s in the fridge, give this easy pasta bake with bacon and leeks a go. It might just become your new comfort classic.
Here are a few pictures:
Bacon and leek pasta bake
This creamy leek and bacon pasta bake is simple to make and uses an Alfredo type cheesy sauce, which coats the pasta beautifully.
The breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on the top give it a lovely crispy chewy surface. The cheese sauce for the pasta really goes very well with the combination.
It is a bit like a baked mac and cheese with bacon and leeks added.
Make sure that you use the right size dish for the amount of ingredients, so that you have enough of the creamy cheese sauce to cover the pasta/leeks/bacon.
The recipe amount below fills a 3-litre dish (approx. 100 fl. oz US) and will feed about 6-8 people (depending on how much you like to eat!)
Using leftover ham
This recipe is another good recipe for using up any leftover ham, if you have any, after Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Just replace the bacon in the recipe with ham. Or add both! I like to fry the ham in the pan a bit before adding it to the dish. The result looks pretty much the same as a penne version and tastes great. Here I used some macaroni pasta.
This recipe is also a great meal prep recipe. You can make more than you need and keep the single portions in the fridge for a few days until you want to eat them.
Here I made a few days’ food with some separate portions for my daughter who is unfortunately fussy about leeks.
Let me know in the comments how you get on – and whether it cheered anyone up in your house too!
How to make this cheesy pasta bake recipe
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Bacon and leek pasta bake recipe
A delicious creamy and cheesy leek and bacon pasta bake recipe. This never fails to please and the crispy topping makes it special.
Ingredients
- 220g streaky bacon (or leftover ham if you have some, chopped into pieces)
- 3 x large leeks, chopped
- 1 x 25 g butter for the leeks and 1 x 50g butter for sauce
- 2 x cloves garlic, minced
- 3 x heaped tbsp plain flour
- 150 g grated medium strength white cheddar cheese
- 800ml milk
- 350g dried pasta (fusilli, penne or whatever needs using up)
- powdered nutmeg to taste
- Salt & pepper
- 125ml x cream
- 2 x tbsp Philadelphia cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated or flaked
- Breadcrumbs
Instructions
Prepare leeks and bacon
- Start by boiling a pan of water and then cook the pasta for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, sieve and run under the cold tap to stop it cooking further. Then set it aside in the baking dish.
- At the same time fry the bacon until the majority of fat has rendered and it is crispy (or cook it in the air-fryer until crispy). Then put it aside on a plate until cool, and chop into small 1cm size pieces and place in the baking dish.
- Before chopping the leeks make sure you have cleaned them properly by running a knife lengthways and running them under a cold tap to get rid of any dirt that may be inside them. Then chop them laterally into 1cm thick pieces. I use the leek up to about halfway up from the transition from white to green, so there is a mix of white and green.
- Next, melt 25g of butter in a pan and use it to sweat the leeks on a low heat until they are soft. Do not burn them. When done, add to the pasta and bacon.
Make the sauce
- At the same time make the white sauce: melt the 50g piece of butter in a saucepan and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the flour and mix together and cook for another minute.
- Then slowly add the milk bit by bit, whisking with a hand whisk to get rid of any lumps. Cook until it starts to get thick, then add the cheddar cheese to the sauce, stirring all the time. Finally add the cream, the cream cheese and the nutmeg, and season to taste, mixing all the time.
Combine
- Then mix all the contents of the baking dish and add the sauce to the contents and stir properly to make sure the sauce settles to the bottom and covers the pasta.
- Then cover the top with breadcrumbs, (not too much) and sprinkle the Parmesan on the top.
- The mix can now be covered with tin foil and put into the fridge until ready to cook. To cook, place uncovered in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbling away.
Notes
Put the hot dish in the middle of the table, take a big serving spoon and help yourself. But be quick as everyone will want the crispy bits on the top!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 509Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 867mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 22g
This nutrition information was automatically calculated by Nutritionix, but may not be 100% accurate.
The recipe is also good for using up ham leftovers from this recipe (if you have any):
Just use chopped ham instead of bacon.If you enjoyed this recipe, you may like to try these :