Bacon, Fennel and Mushroom Pasta Bake - a simple but delicious cheesy pasta bake with the lovely smokey flavour of bacon and sweetness of fennel. A perfect combination!!
If you asked me the first time I tried fennel, I really wouldn't be able to answer. It was probably quite a few years ago now and it was definitely roasted, but ever since it's been a regular vegetable I add to my shopping cart.
I just love its subtle aniseed flavour and it has an amazing natural sweetness when roasted or braised, which makes a perfect ingredient for many dishes.
Fennel seeds are another great ingredients for flavour, again with that aniseed flavour. I love adding some crushed to these Breakfast Pork Sausage Patties.
If you haven't even tried Fennel I totally recommend picking up some next time you go grocery shopping.
We are actually attempting to grow some Fennel this year in our garden.
Just a small area at present with a small selection of veggies and depending on how that goes we will upgrade to some proper veggie garden patches next year.
Luckily, we do have plenty of space for them, it's just preparing the area and ensuring the wild rabbits can't get at everything. They already keep eating the Sunflowers we have been growing.
Our garden can be quite the wildlife sanctuary at times, all kinds of different birds including hummingbirds in the summer, garter snakes, squirrels and occasionally there are raccoon and skunks about too.
Luckily no bears this end of Ontario. Although I'd love to see one in the wild, just maybe not in my garden.
Wondering what other recipes you can try with some fresh fennel? Check out these:
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Fennel
- Roasted Tomato and Fennel Pasta
- Fennel and Sweet Onion Risotto
- Bacon, Fennel Spaghetti Squash Bake
- Roasted Fennel and Peppers
The best part of all is Fennel is a healthy speed food, so even more reason to try out one of these recipes.
or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 850 delicious Slimming World and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, syn value and smart points etc.
How can I add a ⅓ speed foods (healthy vegetables) to this Bacon, Fennel and Mushroom Pasta Bake?
With lots of vegetables already included in this recipe, like fennel, mushrooms, onion if you want to enjoy this just as it is, then go ahead. Remember speed foods are recommended at each meal, but not compulsory.
That said, you can never have enough vegetables on your plate, so if you want to serve this alongside some yummy green vegetables like steamed tender stem broccoli or asparagus, those are great options
You could also go for a mixed salad - like baby greens, beetroots, baby cucumber, shredded carrot etc, or any other salad vegetables of your choice.
Kitchen Items used for this Bacon, Fennel and Mushroom Pasta Bake:
- Cast Iron Skillet (perfect for on the stove cooking and transferring to the oven)
- Chopping Board
- Measuring spoons
- Santoku Knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Mixing Bowl
- Grater
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(This recipe was original created on the 25th July 2012 but updated on the 3rd June 2019)
Bacon, Fennel and Mushroom Pasta Bake
Bacon, Fennel and Mushroom Pasta Bake - a simple but delicious cheesy pasta bake with the lovely smokey flavour of bacon and sweetness of fennel. A perfect combination!!
Ingredients
- 200g/7oz of uncooked pasta (fusilli or rotini is good for this)
- 200g/7oz of mushrooms sliced
- 1 large bulb of fennel (approx 300g/10.5oz), thinly sliced
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 6 slices of lean bacon (visible fat removed), chopped
- 2 cups (480ml) of chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (1.5 syns)
- 4 tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese (4 syns)
- 1 tsp of wholegrain mustard (0.5 syns)
- 60g/2oz of mature cheddar (2xHEa’s), grated
- 100g/3.5oz of mozzarella (2xHEa), grated
- fresh chopped Italian parsley
- salt and black pepper.
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Spray a frying pan over a medium high heat with some spray oil, add the onion, garlic and bacon and cook until slightly golden.
- Add the fennel, mushrooms and about ½ cup of the stock and cook until that stock reduces down and the mushrooms become lightly golden.
- Add the remaining stock, mustard into the pan, then mix the cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of water to make a slurry and add this into the pan, stirring as you do,
- Reduce heat and simmer for approx 15 mins, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
- Preheat oven to 200c or 400f (gas mark 6)
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted and sauce becomes creamy in appearance. Season as needed with salt and black pepper.
- Cook the pasta as per packet instructions to al dente, drain and set aside.
- Add the bacon, fennel and mushrooms mix to an oven proof dish along with the pasta and mix well.
- Top with the grated cheddar and mozzarella.
- Bake in the oven until cheese is melted on top and lightly golden. (approx 30-35 mins)
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped Italian parsley
- Enjoy!!
Notes
This recipe is Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly
- Slimming World: 1.5 syns and 1 HEa per serving
- WW FLEX/FREESTYLE Smart Points: 11 per serving
*suitable for freezing
NOTE: Different brands of low fat cream cheese vary in syn value so check the syns of the one you use.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 434Total Fat 13.3gSaturated Fat 7.5gCholesterol 40mgSodium 659mgCarbohydrates 50.7gFiber 3.7gSugar 3.9gProtein 25.3g
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.
joanne says
this was another fab recipe i tried of yours made loads so i can have some later for supper hehe!
laura says
hey jst found you on the slimming world website, what is the syn value of this recipe?
britmumincanada says
hey, it is syn free on extra easy, when using the cheese as a HEa. Which slimming world website was it? The facebook group do you mean?
Debbie says
this is a must for weekend lunch. was getting stuck in a rut until I started to look through tonight, thank you
Tebbski says
I did this with Orzo pasta. Seriously good! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Marian Hughes says
Looks amazing - do you think this would free ok with the cream cheese? Thanks a mil 🙂
Tracy says
Loved this! Will become a regular meal for us.
Marion Anderson says
Can this be frozen at all? I've made the full recipe and,as there's only me, I have three portions left.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Yep it sure can, if you look in the notes section of the recipe box on all my recipes it will usually tell you whether it is suitable for freezing.
Marie redd says
This recipe is my absolute fave pasta bake ever! Do you think the sauce can be made ahead and maybe frozen too?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
yep the sauce is fine to make ahead of time. Glad you like it, it's one of my favs too.
Stacy says
Amazing. I have never cooked fennel before and decided to give it a go after reading your recipe. It was delicious and my husband reckoned we should have his parents over so that we can cook it for them too. I so glad I discovered your site. It’s giving me inspiration for new meals to try. Thank you.
Linda Reilly says
Absolutely lovely dish, husband actually said best pasta bake I have done.
Claire says
What could you use instead of fennel? I can’t find it