1827. STILTON, LEEK and BACON PASTA

5 rashers bacon
3 large leeks
a nob of butter
2 tablespoons flour
1.5 glasses milk
500 grams pasta
150 grams stilton

Boil salted water and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Chop the bacon into little pieces. Melt the butter in a medium hot pan and then fry the bacon in the butter. While the bacon is frying, remove the outer leaves and ends from the leeks, then slice them and wash them. Add the leeks to the pan along with the bacon. You will need a rather large pan. Mix well so that all the bacon and butter is evenly mixed in with the leeks. Saute/steam the leeks for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the flour on top. Mix well and cook on the heat for another minute. You are forming a roux here mixed in with the leeks, which is the base for a white sauce. Add about a glass and a half of milk to the pan, about half a pint, maybe a bit less. Keep the sauce over a low heat, and stir frequently until it just begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from the heat and mix the sauce in with the pasta. Crumble the Stilton into the pan while stirring. The heat of the pasta and sauce should be enough to melt the cheese and form a nice sauce. Serve immediately with some salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Ryan's Recipe Blog, Royston, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, August 11, 2008