Spinach, Mushroom and Bacon Pasta Bake

Name: Spinach, Mushroom and Bacon Pasta Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter; 2 onions finely diced; 3 cloves garlic crushed; 400 g fresh baby spinach washed cut into strips; 1 cup cream; 1 packet (50 g) Knorr thick white onion soup; Robertsons Atlantic sea salt, to season; Robertsons ground black peppercorns, to taste; 2 cups whole wheat penne; Knorr tomato base dry cook-in-sauce; 2 tins chopped tomatoes; cooled cream spinach; 250 g cream cheese; 1 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced gently fried; 1 1/2 cups crispy bacon chopped; 2 cups mozzarella grated

6 People
85 min.
easy

A luscious, cheesy pasta bake made with mushrooms, bacon and fresh spinach, which is one of our Future 50 ingredients. Making your own creamed spinach with Knorr Thick White Onion Soup powder makes such a difference to this delicious family dinner. Use wholewheat pasta for extra nutrition, and serve with a crisp green salad.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
2 onions finely diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
400 g fresh baby spinach washed cut into strips
1 cup cream
1 packet (50 g) Knorr thick white onion soup
Robertsons Atlantic sea salt, to season
Robertsons ground black peppercorns, to taste
2 cups whole wheat penne
Knorr tomato base dry cook-in-sauce
2 tins chopped tomatoes
cooled cream spinach
250 g cream cheese
1 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced gently fried
1 1/2 cups crispy bacon chopped
2 cups mozzarella grated

Cooking Method

For the Creamed Spinach: Melt the butter on a medium/low heat in a medium saucepan.
Add the onion & crushed garlic and sauté until soft, 5-7 minutes.
Cut the baby spinach into strips and stir through the onions, 1 cup at a time until wilted.
Drain any excess water from the wilted spinach mixture and discard.
Mix ¼ cup of cream with the Knorr Thick White Onion Soup to form a paste. Add the rest of the cream, mix well and add to the spinach.
Stir well & simmer until slightly reduced and thickened. Season to taste.
Allow to cool.
For the Pasta Bake: Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a large pot, bring salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta, until very al dente (i.e. not fully cooked/soft.) Drain and set aside.
Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan. Add the tinned tomatoes to the pan and allow to simmer on medium heat. Mix the Knorr Tomato Base Dry Cook-In Sauce with a tbsp of water to form a paste. Add the paste to the tomatoes in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool.
Combine the pasta with the creamed spinach, cream cheese, mushrooms and crispy bacon and season to taste.
Layer the tomato sauce into the base of a baking dish. Top this with the pasta mixture.
Sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top and bake for 15-20 min until melted, golden, bubbling and delicious.
Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes.
Garnish with more of the crispy bacon and chopped chives and ENJOY!