Enjoy this creamy leek and bacon pasta bake as a speedy mid-week meal that doesn’t require much skill or effort at all. Serve with a fresh salad and use up any leftovers for lunch the following day. You will find fresh leeks available to purchase in our Greengrocers.

Ready in: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

300g pasta
200g soft cream cheese
4 rasher unsmoked bacon
2 medium leeks
1 tbsp vegetable oil
A thick slice of bread
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Start by cooking the pasta in a large pan of boiling water, until just cooked. Drain the pasta, keeping back 150ml of the cooking water in a jug. Put the pasta back in the saucepan and leave the pasta along with the water to one side until it is needed later on.

2. Next, use a chopping board and knife to cut the bacon into small pieces. Wash your hands and use a separate chopping board to prepare the leeks. Cut off the top and bottom of each leek, peel off the outer layer and chop the remaining piece into rings.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and cook for around 5 minutes until crispy. Then add the leeks and cook for another 7-10 minutes until softened.

4. Break the bread into large pieces and use a food processor to blend them into breadcrumbs then leave to one side.

5. Stir the bacon, leeks, cream cheese and mustard into the saucepan with the pasta. Once combined, add the reserved cooking water, stir again and season if you wish.

6. Transfer into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

7. Preheat the grill to a medium heat and place the dish under. Cook for around 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.