Cheesy Tortellini Spinach Bake

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, Cook bacon or pancetta in a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer. While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest the lemon. After zesting the lemon, cut it in half and juice it. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain tortellini and return to stockpot. Reserve 1 tablespoon cooked bacon and add the rest to pasta mixture. Add spinach, cup mozza- rella cheese, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8 x 8-inch or a 9 x 9-inch baking dish and top with remaining cheeses and crumbled bacon. Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an ad- ditional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.