Name: Pancetta, pea & asparagus orrechiette bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300g dried orecchiette pasta; 80g frozen peas; 1 tbsp olive oil; 130g pancetta; 125g asparagus spears trimmed and cut into 4; 1 garlic clove finely sliced; 75g butter; 75g plain flour; 750g milk; 60g cheddar grated; 90g parmesan grated; 20g panko breadcrumbs

Pancetta, pea & asparagus orrechiette bake

Try this delicious spring pasta bake recipe as a midweek family meal which freezes brilliantly. We’ve used orecchiette, but you can use whatever pasta you like

50 min total 20 min prep 30 min cook 4 932 cal

Instructions

Tap a step to mark it done

1 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the orecchiette and cook for 4 mins less than stated on the pack instructions. Add the peas for the final minute of cooking. Drain and set aside.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and fry until golden, around 6 mins. Add the sliced asparagus and garlic, and cook for 2-3 mins, then tip everything into a bowl and set aside.
3 Melt the butter in the frying pan. Whisk in the flour and start to add the milk a little at a time, whisking well until you have a creamy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir through the cheddar and 60g of the parmesan. Once melted and smooth, season the sauce to taste. Mix in the cooked pasta and the asparagus mixture. Spoon into an ovenproof dish (ours was 25 x 30cm). Scatter over the breadcrumbs along with the remaining parmesan.
4 If cooking immediately, heat the grill to high. Grill for 5-6 mins until golden and bubbling. Otherwise, leave to fully cool and cover well before freezing.