This creamy bacon pasta bake is extremely rich and delicious, made with gluten and dairy free béchamel sauce. It is packed full of flavor from sautéed bacon and onion. Cheese? You won’t even miss it...!
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The creamy béchamel sauce
This béchamel sauce (often called white sauce) is so creamy and rich, made with oat milk, rice flour and vegan butter. Although it is so satisfying, it feels a lot lighter than dairy based béchamel sauce.
Since the rice flour is very fine and does not contain gluten, it resolves easily when cooked in the milk. There is no need to cook the butter and flour in advance, and you would never need to deal with the flour clumping in the sauce.
If you have ever made a béchamel sauce in a regular way, you will be amazed to see how much easier this rice flour version is!
Ingredients for this recipe
- Bacon
- Onion
- White rice flour - brown flour works as a substitute but note that the sauce will have a slightly grittier texture
- Salt
- Oat milk - can be substituted with any dairy free milk but creamier type such as soy milk will work better.
- Pepper
- Vegan butter
- Gluten free elbow pasta - any short pasta works
- Gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- Dried parsley or basil
How to make creamy bacon pasta bake
Here are the simple 3 steps to make this recipe:
1. First, you will be cooking the onion and bacon together.
2. Then you cook the pasta 1 minute shorter than directed on the package (so it’s nicely in al dente texture). While you cook the pasta, make the béchamel sauce.
3. Lastly, combine everything - cooked bacon, pasta, onion with the sauce, transfer to the baking dish and bake until golden brown!
*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Simply double all ingredients and cook for the same amount of time. A 9 x 9 baking dish would be a perfect fit for the double portion.
Creamy bacon pasta bake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To heat up, microwave until warm. If you are using the oven, cover the top with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F/ 176°C for 20-30 minutes.
You can make the béchamel sauce up to 2 days in advance. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
This dish can also be assembled 24 hours ahead of time - meaning cooked bacon, onion, pasta and béchamel sauce can be combined beforehand. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or cling wrap and store in the fridge. Sprinkle the panko topping right before you bake it in the oven.
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Recipe
Creamy Bacon Pasta Bake (gluten and dairy free)
Equipment
- 1 - 9 x 5" rectangular baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon chopped
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4 ounces gluten-free elbow pasta dry
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups oat milk or any non-dairy milk
- Ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- ¼ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
For topping
- Dried parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 204°C. Grease a 9 x 5 baking dish or equivalent.
- Heat up some oil in a pan. Cook the bacon and onions together until the onions are tender. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta 1 minute shorter than directed on the package. Drain and set aside.
- While cooking the pasta, make the béchamel sauce. Place the rice flour and salt in a saucepan. Add in the oat milk little by little, mixing constantly. Bring the mix to a boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisking at all times. Add in the butter and pepper at the end.
- Add the cooked bacon, onion and pasta into the sauce and mix gently. Transfer to the baking dish and top with panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown. Sprinkle dried parsley on top.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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