The smoke and bacon are already baked into this cheese, so all you need is pasta and cream to build a rich, fast dinner. Stir everything together in one pan and you're done in the time it takes to boil water.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 1200 calories a serving, 58 g protein, 100 g carbohydrate, 61 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz pasta until one minute shy of tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the empty pot over medium heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to form a paste, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the raw flour smell is gone.1 min
3. Pour in 1.5 cups whole milk in a slow stream, whisking to smooth out lumps, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.3 min
4. Remove the pot from heat and stir in 2 cups smoky bacon cheddar cheese until melted and smooth, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the drained pasta back to the pot and fold gently until every strand is coated with sauce; serve straight away into bowls.

Note Swap in sharp cheddar and 4 strips of bacon, crisped and crumbled, if you want to build the flavors from scratch. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for three days; reheat gently with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce. Serve with a simple green salad and bread to soak up the sauce.