Crites Family Stuff

Ingredients for 6 servings

• 12 oz bag Barilla Cheese and Spinach Tortelini
• 4 oz bacon (4 strips)
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• .75 tsp salt
• .125 tsp pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried basil
• .25 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 medium lemon
• 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• .75 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• .75 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large stock pot, cook tortellini according to package instructions.
3. In a medium sized skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Reserve two tbsp bacon drippings, discarding the rest. Add garlic to reserved drippings and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Add flour and whisk, cooking for another minute. Slowly add milk, stirring till smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flacks. Bring sauce to a simmer.
4. Zest the lemon and them juice it. Add 2 tsp zest and 1 tbsp juice to sauce. Stir sauce till it thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Drain tortellini and return it to the stock pot. Reserve 1 tbsp of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta. Add spinach, 1/2 cup of each of the cheeses. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Pour pasta into a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and top with remaining cheeses and the reserved bacon.
6. Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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