Pioneer Woman Baked Orecchiette

Pioneer Woman baked orecchiette is a creamy comfort food pasta loaded with spinach, monterey jack and crispy bacon breadcrumbs, all ready in one hour. That makes it a crowd-pleasing pick for weeknight dinners, Sunday suppers or fall potlucks, since everything bakes together in a single dish.

The make-or-break step is the roux, because cooking the flour until golden before adding milk gives the sauce its body. Without that, everything stays thin and watery instead of clinging to the pasta.

What sets this baked orecchiette apart is the topping, where bacon fat toasts the panko before it ever hits the oven. Once baked, you get a shatteringly crunchy parmesan crust over bubbling cheese sauce that no plain breadcrumb finish can match.

Pioneer Woman Baked Orecchiette

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

919

kcal

Tender ear-shaped pasta coated in a velvety spinach and monterey jack sauce, then topped with crunchy bacon-parmesan panko and baked until bubbling and golden.

Ingredients

• For the Pasta:
  

• 4 tbsp. salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
  

• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  

• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
  

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  

• 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  

• 1 tsp. black pepper
  

• 2 oz. cream cheese
  

• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  

• 3 c. whole milk
  

• 2 c. monterey jack cheese, grated

• For the Bacon Breadcrumbs:
  

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
  

• 2 tbsp. salted butter
  

• 1 1/2 c. panko
  

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  

• 1 c. grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• Prep the oven and pasta: Preheat the oven to 375° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. While the oven heats, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the orecchiette and cook according to the package directions before draining.
• Make the bacon breadcrumbs: Cook the chopped bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes, then remove it to a medium bowl and leave the fat in the pan. Next, add the butter, let it melt and stir in the panko and salt, cooking until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Once cooled slightly, toss the mixture with the reserved bacon and parmesan.
• Build the cheese sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the empty pasta pot over medium-high heat, then add the sliced onion and cook until softened and browning, about 3 minutes. Once the onion is ready, stir in the garlic and spinach, cooking until the liquid releases, about 5 minutes, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Assemble and bake: Add the cream cheese and remaining butter, stir until melted, then sprinkle in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Next, pour in the milk 1 cup at a time while stirring until thickened, then fold in the monterey jack until melted. After that, season with the remaining salt and pepper, add the pasta and stir until coated, then transfer to the baking dish. Finally, top with the bacon breadcrumbs and bake until crispy and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different pasta shape instead of orecchiette?

Penne, rigatoni or cavatappi all work, since any short ridged shape catches the sauce. Just undercook the pasta by one minute, because it keeps cooking in the oven and overcooked noodles turn mushy in a bake.

How long does baked orecchiette keep in the fridge?

Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days, since the cheese sauce holds up well. When you reheat a portion, add a splash of milk because the sauce thickens as it sits and needs loosening.

Can I assemble this ahead of time and bake it later?

You can build the full dish and refrigerate it covered for up to 24 hours before baking. Just add the breadcrumbs right before it goes in the oven so they stay crunchy, and tack on 5 to 10 extra minutes since it starts cold.

What if I don't have a 9x13 baking dish?

Any oven-safe dish that holds 3 quarts works, so a deep cast iron skillet or round casserole is fine. Just spread the pasta in an even layer, because a pile that is too deep won't heat through in the center.

Why did my cheese sauce turn grainy?

Grainy sauce usually means the heat was too high when the cheese went in, since high temperatures cause the proteins to clump. To prevent it, keep the burner on medium and fold in the monterey jack a handful at a time, stirring until each batch melts before adding more.