BLT Pasta Bake

From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats, recipe #36



Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
2 large leeks, trimmed of roots and dark green tops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:
Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta, once boiling add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente.

Heat large skillet over medium heat, add the EVOO and chopped bacon and cook until crisp.

While bacon is cooking, split leeks in half lengthwise and slice thinly into half moons. Clean cut leeks thoroughly, drain, and dry. Add leeks to pan with bacon, season with salt and pepper; cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together until the roux bubbles; cook one minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Preheat broiler.

Combine leek mixture, cheese sauce, and pasta; salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to baking dish, combine remaining 1/2 cheese with bread crumbs and top pasta. Place under broiler until cheese melts and crumbs are brown.

Comments:
This is really good, although I managed to burn the top under the broiler a little. Ok a lot. But it was salvagable. This recipes makes a whole lotta pasta so I threw the leftovers in the freezer. They should defrost well.