Bacon Tortellini Bake Broccoli (Print Version)
Creamy tortellini bakes with crispy bacon and fresh broccoli, making an easy cheesy crowd favorite.
# Ingredients:
→ Main
01 -
20 oz pack of chilled cheese tortellini
02 -
Broccoli florets, cut small (about 2 cups)
→ Protein
03 -
6 bacon slices, cut into bite-size pieces
→ Sauce
04 -
2 garlic cloves, chopped up
05 -
1 tablespoon regular flour
06 -
1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
07 -
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
08 -
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarse
09 -
2 cups milk
→ Cheese
10 -
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella, split
11 -
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, split
# Instructions:
01 -
Set your oven to 350°F and let it heat up.
02 -
Start by boiling the tortellini; after a few minutes, toss in the broccoli pieces for just 2 minutes before draining everything together.
03 -
Fry up the bacon chunks over medium heat in a big pan till they're crunchy. Scoop them onto a plate with paper towels. Leave just a spoonful of bacon grease in your pan and get rid of the extra.
04 -
Turn the heat to medium-low. Toss in the chopped garlic and stir for half a minute—it should smell awesome. Mix in the flour, herbs, salt, and pepper. Keep whisking till it looks smooth. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Let it cook and bubble, keep stirring so nothing sticks. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, so the sauce thickens a little. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan, and let it melt together.
05 -
Dump the drained tortellini, broccoli, and bacon into your sauce and mix them all up. Shift everything into a big baking dish. Scatter the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, uncovered, till the cheese looks gooey and bubbly all over.
# Notes:
01 -
If you want your dish super melty and tasty, try shredding fresh mozzarella and grating fresh Parmesan yourself.