This easy creamy cheese sauce for pasta is one of my personal go to's and comfort food at it's best. A stovetop mac and cheese style white sauce elevated with crisp bacon and fresh thyme for an impressive but easy pasta recipe. I love making this for dinner guests but it's definitely quick enough for a busy weeknight.
Hello! This homemade cheese sauce for pasta is one of the recipes that I personally make the most. It's a classic roux sauce and is such a great base to add anything you like. Leave out the bacon completely or sub for cooked sliced sausage or swap for mushrooms for a vegetarian twist. It really is the perfect base to customize.
Can you really beat a creamy cheesy pasta? I love that something so delicious can be made with such simple ingredients. One of my other favorites is my Nduja and Cheese Pasta Sauce, put it on your list ASAP! For a baked version try my Best Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Leeks.
Ingredients
Butter - Unsalted or salted is fine here as it is such a small amount.
All purpose flour - Any plain white flour will work, I haven't tested this with a gluten free flour so let me know if you try it!
Milk - I use whole milk. I haven't tried it with any alternatives.
Cheese - I use a combination of cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. You can use any combination of different cheeses you like, monterey jack, pecorino romano, gruyere etc. Don't use pre-shredded cheese!
Black pepper - Pepper and cheese are a match made in heaven.
Optional
Bacon - I use streaky bacon and anything with a smokey flavour is great. It's fried in butter until super crisp.
Thyme - Do try and use fresh and not dried, it brings so much flavour and adds some much needed freshness. You could use rosemary if you preferred.
How to make this cheese sauce for pasta
Full recipe, ingredient list and method are in the recipe card below, plus a short tutorial video. First fry the bacon and roughly chop and then get your pasta cooking in a large pot of salted water.
ONE: Melt the butter in a medium or large saucepan on a medium-high heat then add the flour and whisk into a paste.
TWO: Turn down to a medium heat (or lower) and gradually add the milk in a slow stream, whisking all around the sides of the pan to make sure the butter and flour mixture is being well incorporated.
THREE: Once the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, add the cheese in a few seperate lots.
FOUR: I have the heat quite low when adding the cheese, it should barely be bubbling. Add a splash of milk if it is too thick. This is now the base of the sauce to add into!
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FIVE: Add the cooked chopped bacon and black pepper.
SIX: Add the cooked pasta straight into the cheesy sauce along with the fresh thyme. Let it gently bubble away for 1-2 minutes.
Expert tips
- I always slightly undercook dried pasta so it can bubble away in the sauce for a couple of minutes and still be al dente.
- Keep an eye on the heat. You want a medium or even medium-low heat if your stovetop runs hot.
- I like to use a flat whisk when adding the milk to make sure all the butter and flour mixture it being incorporated.
- I try and time the sauce and pasta so they will be ready at the same time. I transfer the pasta straight into the sauce with a spider strainer. The pot of starchy pasta water is left to use as you need.
- If your pasta is ready too soon then reserve a cup of the water then drain and toss with a knob of butter.
- For best results, weigh your pasta portions. I allow 100 grams dried or 150 grams fresh per person for the perfect serving size.
How to cook the perfect pasta
Ever wondered the what the perfect salt to water ratio is? This guide is a must for you!
Recipe FAQs
For a pasta dish like this any kind of cheddar will work. I use a combination of cheddar and parmesan. You could also use a gruyere which is a fantastic melting option for any cheese recipe.
Use any type of pasta you like. In these photos I have used both a homemade orecchiette and hand rolled gnocchi sardi. I do think it suits a short pasta shape.
It definitely won't be as good reheated but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
For creamy pasta sauces like this just keep it simple and fresh. I like to serve an iceberg lettuce cut into wedges and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Some other sauces to try?
If you loved my best cheese sauce recipe I have all sorts of delicious sauces plus pasta techniques in my recipe section. Here are some suggestions to get you started! My baked mac and cheese is a really easy recipe to have on hand for guests! After a creamy sauce? My sausage or chicken and mushroom are both winners.
Another cheese sauce classic!
If you love this recipe then my Cauliflower Cheese Recipe with Bacon and Leek is a MUST!
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Easy Cheese Sauce for Pasta (optional bacon and thyme)
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Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 170 g streaky bacon
- 3 tablespoons butter divided 1 tbsp for bacon and 2 tbsp for sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 150 g cheese I did 100g cheddar and 50g parmesan, both grated
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 heaped tablespoon fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in 1 tbsp of melted butter over medium - high heat until super crispy. Set aside on some paper towels then give a rough chop when cool so there's a mixture of crumbs and bigger pieces
- Over medium - high heat, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan then add the flour and whisk into a paste for a minute to cook the flour off.
- Turn the heat down and add the milk gradually whisking vigorously to incorporate, making sure you are getting the flour paste from the bottom and sides of the pan. Add ¼ cup more milk if you think it will be too thick.
- Continue to cook, whisking until it begins to gently simmer then turn the heat down to low before adding the cheese in three lots, whisking in between each lot making sure it has melted in before adding the next.
- Add the black pepper and most of the bacon pieces (reserve a sprinkling for the top)
- Add in your cooked pasta and the fresh thyme and let it gently bubble away for a minute in the sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if you feel like you need to loosen the sauce.
- Serve with a sprinkling of bacon and thyme on the top.
Video
Notes
- Cheese - use a combination of anything you like. I use a basic cheddar and parmesan. Gruyere would also be great!
- This does make a lot of sauce, you could probably stretch to three people if you add some more pasta.
- Season to taste, I don't find I need to add any salt once I have added the bacon in.
Lucius says
GREATEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER
Emilie Pullar says
Thank you!! Love this sauce so much 🙂
Jillian says
Fantastic recipe. Followed exactly at 1.5x quantities for three people - would definitely feed four or five. Absolutely delicious and an excellent base for so many variations - adding chicken, or mushrooms, or sundried tomatoes would be lovely. For cheese I used a combination of old cheddar, parmesan, and smoked gouda.
Can't wait to try more recipes! 🙂
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jillian! Thanks so much for making, so glad you enjoyed it. So true that it is an amazing base, the possibilities are endless. Thanks again 🙂