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a side shot of a dish with pasta shells and cheese with bacon and a spoon in it.
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Bacon Shells and Cheese

Bacon shells and cheese is a hearty pasta dish with a creamy parmesan sauce, salty bites of bacon, pasta, and vegetables.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy bacon pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • large sautee pan
  • baking dish

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces small shell pasta cooked to package directions
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 12 ounces bacon cooked to package directions, reserve 1 tsp oil after cooked
  • 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend more for garnish if desired
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 small zucchini diced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 small Roma tomato diced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Start your pasta to boil and your diced bacon to cook according to package directions, they take approximately the same amount of time.
    8 ounces small shell pasta, 12 ounces bacon
  • Dice vegetables.
    2 small zucchini, 1 small onion, 1 small Roma tomato
  • Once your pasta has cooked drain and set aside. When bacon is cooked remove it from the pan and reserve 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease in the pan.
  • In the same pan, melt 1 Tbs. butter in the bottom, then add onions and zucchini. Soften for around 3 minutes. Over the top of the vegetables sprinkle the flour and stir.
    1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons flour
  • Add tomatoes. Sautee quickly. Pour in milk.
    1 cup milk
  • Bring to a simmer and add the Parmesan cheese, shredded Italian cheese blend, garlic powder, and pepper. Let thicken, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
    1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Put your pasta and bacon back into the pan.
  • Garnish with more cheese & basil.

Notes

Tips for making this recipe:

  • Don't have pasta hells? You can use pretty much any other pasta as a substitute.
  • If you decide to leave out the bacon, use an additional teaspoon of butter to sautee the vegetables.
  • To store: Add leftovers to a covered container and refrigerate. Eat within 3 days. To reheat, add to a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, place 1/4 of the whole milk into the pan, and then the leftovers. Reheat until heated through and serve.