For this pasta soufflé, any type of yellow cheese - or a blend of cheeses - works beautifully. You can also swap the penne for other short pasta, lasagna sheets, or thicker noodles like those used in pastitsio.
If you have leftover cooked or roasted chicken, feel free to use it in place of the bacon.
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins | Total time: 1 hr | Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 package (about 12 oz / 340 g) penne pasta
- 150 g grated Kefalograviera or Parmesan
- 200 g bacon, cut into thick cubes
For the béchamel-style sauce:
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 150 g plain (all purpose) flour
- 1½ liters hot milk
- 2 eggs
- 150 g heavy cream
- 50 g grated Graviera or Gouda
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
For the topping:
- breadcrumbs and additional grated yellow cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan).
- In a skillet over high heat, sauté the bacon until golden brown. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta for half the time indicated on the package, then drain and set aside.
- To make the sauce: melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until it forms a thick paste.
- Gradually add the hot milk, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the eggs until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the heavy cream, Graviera or Gouda, and a pinch of nutmeg, mixing well.
- In a 26×34 cm baking dish, spread 2–3 spoonfuls of the sauce on the bottom. Add the pasta, bacon, and Kefalograviera/Parmesan, spreading everything evenly.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta mixture, season generously with black pepper, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and extra grated cheese.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a crust has formed along the edges.
