Bacon and Cheese Pasta Bake

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

Place bacon in a large, deep frying pan. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.

In a medium frying pan, saute the chopped onion and garlic. Take off heat and add chopped cooked bacon and set aside.

To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in 2/3 of the grated Cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

Combine cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables and sauce. Pour into a 2 litre baking dish. Sprinkle over remaining Cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven until cheese on top is melted and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.