Bacon & Pesto Mac ‘n’ Cheese

To celebrate our Award-Winning Sausages and Bacon going into Gousto boxes we decided to recreate one of their recipes! This is THE ULTIMATE Mac ‘n’ Cheese not only does it have the holy grail which is our Streaky Bacon in it also has a delicious homemade pesto stirred into the sauce. This Gousto recipe is a must try ??

Ingredients

– A pack of Jolly Good smoked streaky bacon
– 140g grated Italian hard cheese
– 300g macaroni
– 30ml balsamic vinegar
– 240g baby leaf spinach
– 60g panko breadcrumbs
– 90g classic basil nut pesto
– 2 garlic cloves
– 80g cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7. Then boil a full kettle and peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic
2. Add the macaroni to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the macaroni for 7-8 min or until cooked with a slight bite.
3. While the macaroni is cooking, melt 15g [30g] butter in a large pan over a medium heat, add the chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 min until fragrant.
4. Then add 15g [30g] flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 1-2 min or until a sandy paste forms – this is your roux.
4. Gradually whisk 600ml milk into the roux, a little at a time, and cook for 5-6 min or until a smooth, thick sauce remains – this is your béchamel sauce.
5. Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese, combine 1/4 of the grated Italian hard cheese (save the rest for later!) with the panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil – these are your cheesy breadcrumbs
6. Wash then add the spinach and drained macaroni to the pan with the béchamel sauce and stir through the pesto, grated cheddar and remaining grated Italian hard cheese. Season with a generous grind of black pepper and give everything a good mix up until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
7. Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof dish, top with the cheesy breadcrumbs followed by the bacon and put the dish in the oven for 20-25 min or until golden and bubbling and the bacon is crisp – this is your bacon & pesto mac ‘n’ cheese.
8. Serve & enjoy!