Cheese lovers, this one is for you. The Pioneer Woman has a baked pasta recipe that starts her favorite ingredients to cook with: “cheese!” It’s a five-cheese baked pasta dish that’s loaded with flavor and is so rich and delicious that no other baked pasta dish can compare. In fact, Drummond says it’s the “most incredible” baked pasta dish you’ll ever eat.
The five stars of this show are mozzarella pearls, fontina, white cheddar, romano, and gruyere, which all come together in a beautiful melty sauce that starts in a pot that just fried up bacon bits (those will come back into play later). To the bacon grease, add chopped white onions, thyme, and a “good amount” of garlic, as Drummond said in a clip from her Food Network show The Pioneer Woman.
When the onions have softened and begun to go translucent, add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan. Then drizzle in some heavy cream and finally start adding in your grated cheese — but do so slowly so they don’t all clump together — leaving out the mozzarella (those get saved for last).
Finally, stir in your al dente pasta (Drummond likes to use fusilli) with a bit of freshly cracked black pepper. You want the pasta and sauce to look “saucy and soupy,” as Drummond said, because it will to set up once it goes into the oven.
Drummond spoons her pasta into little gratin dishes before putting the pasta into the oven, but you can keep it in a larger casserole dish if you want to serve the baked pasta family-style. Dot your mozzarella pearls on top of the pasta to create a melty top layer and place your casserole dishes under the broiler to let everything settle and bake.
Once the baked pasta comes out of the oven, you can top it with those bacon bits from earlier, as well as some freshly chopped spring onions for a touch of freshness, and then you’re ready to devour. Grab the full recipe here to add it to your weekly rotation — this is comfort food at its finest!
Before you go, check out our gallery:
