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!!

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 Eats and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, value and smart points etc.

How can I add a ⅓ vegetables (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 vegetables 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)