Shell pasta with bacon & potato cream sauce

I was trying to think of a story to go along with this pasta dish but I think I'll just let it speak for itself.. :) Inspired by my previous post on white sauces and their simplicity, I decided to make this pasta dish for lunch today.

The bacon adds a nice flavor and crunch but the potato is the real kicker! Can you believe that one of the most common vegetables on earth can actually pack quite a punch? Enough to elevate a dish to a whole new level! Well, I found out that it could do exactly that! The potato adds a lovely texture to the sauce. I cooked it in pasta water for just a few minutes and then sauteed it in bacon fat to finish cooking and give it a seared crust so it is crisp outside and soft inside.

And, I love shell pasta. They look cute but most importantly, their shape is very conducive to scooping up the sauce. They hold sauce, bacon and potato bits nicely in their wells, so you get a little of everything with each bite..

This is a simple dish that is surprisingly enhanced by the simplest of ingredients to make a super easy and nicely flavored meal...

Pasta Shells in Bacon & Potato Cream Sauce
(Serves 2)

1/3 lb medium shell pasta
1 large potato diced small
4-5 strips of bacon
1-1/2 T flour
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne
3 oz cheddar cheese
3 oz Monterrey jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Render the bacon strips in a medium pan till crisp. Remove the cooked bacon onto a kitchen towel. Reserve the rendered bacon fat.

Cook the pasta as per instructions until al dente in a large pot of salted water. Remove cooked pasta into ice bath to keep it from cooking further. In the same pasta water, blanch the diced potato for 2-3 minutes. In the same frying pan used for the bacon, add 2 teaspoons of the fat and saute the diced potato over medium high till fully cooked and crisped brown on the outside.

Make the white sauce as per the directions here substituting butter with the bacon fat and using the recommended quantities for this recipe. Add in the dried herbs, cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and melt in the cheeses. Crumble the bacon into the cheese sauce and toss in the potato. Add the pasta in the end and toss to combine everything.

Serve immediately.