We love good Bacon & Kale Penne n' Cheese with Mint and this deliciously simple, chef-curated recipe doesn't disappoint. Time to bust out the pots and pans!
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
1
Echalion Shallot
90
Mature Cheddar Cheese
(Contains Milk)
200
Penne Pasta
100
Chopped Kale
60
Bacon Lardons
25
Panko Breadcrumbs
16
Plain Flour
1
Chicken Stock Powder
1
Dried Thyme
150
Creme Fraiche
(Contains Milk)
12
Balsamic Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
50
Baby Leaf Mix
1
Olive Oil
1
Olive Oil for the Crumb
200
Water for the Sauce
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 0.5 tsp of salt for the pasta. Halve, peel and thinly slice the shallot. Grate the cheese.
Once the water is boiling, add the penne to the water, simmer until cooked, 12 mins. Add the kale for the final 3 mins of cooking time, making sure to push it down to submerge it in the water. Drain in a colander, pop back in the pan and stir through a little oil to stop it sticking together.
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bacon lardons and stir-fry until light brown, 1-2 mins. Don't let it take on too much colour! Pour the bacon and all its oil into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and the olive oil (see ingredient list for amount). Season with salt and pepper, stir to coat the crumbs in the oil and leave to the side.
Put your frying pan back on medium-high heat. Add the oil (see ingredients for amount) and the shallot. Stir-fry until the shallot is soft, 3-4 mins then stir in the flour. Cook until it forms a paste consistency, 1-2 mins. Gradually, stir in the water (see ingredient list for amount) and the stock powder. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously, reduce the heat slightly and add the dried thyme, then stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 mins. Mix in the creme fraiche, then remove from the heat.
Add the cheddar to the sauce and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste and add salt and pepper if it needs it. Add the cooked pasta and kale to the sauce and stir to combine with a splash of water to loosen if you need to. Pour into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the bacon crumb evenly over the top, then bake on the top shelf of your oven until the crumbs are golden, 8-10 mins. Once cooked, remove from your oven.
When everything is nearly ready, pop the balsamic vinegar and olive oil (see ingredients for amounts) into a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, then add the salad leaves and toss to coat. Serve this alongside the pasta. Enjoy!