Baked Tomato and Bacon Tortellini

Whenever I create my own recipe, and consequently need to name it, I'm always torn on what ingredients to highlight in the title. However if the recipe contains bacon, I ALWAYS find room for that in the title... always. I'm not sure what it is about bacon that makes it so well loved and universally received, but I'm not one to argue with deliciousness!

This recipe was made many moons ago and somehow got pushed to the back of my "to post" list. I can still remember making it... it was in late September and I remember noticing that the seasonal change was upon us as I tried to take my pictures outside and became aware that I just didn't have the great lighting I had had the week prior. I'm pretty sure winter is the worst thing for food bloggers- lack of natural lighting is the pits!

This tortellini is delicious. It combines some of my favorite flavors and just is rich and creamy without being heavy and overly fattening. To be honest I loved the sauce and I think next time I might skip baking it. While baking it is nice, it does dry up some of the sauce and I think next time I'd skip the panko and not bake it so that the sauce is highlighted. However, you can't go wrong either way. This is good stuff.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
3 strips bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 package cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp panko + 1/3 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (combined in a bowl)

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the bacon in a large skillet. Remove the bacon, roughly chop, and set aside.
2- Drain the bacon grease except for 1 tsp of grease. Add the tomatoes to the grease and heat over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour until it coats the tomatoes.
3- Add the broth and milk. Cook over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, or until it begins to thicken and come to a low bubble. Do not boil.
4- Stir in the parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5- Add the tortellini to the sauce and stir well.
6- Transfer the tortellini and sauce to a baking dish. Sprinkle the panko/cheese mixture over top. Top with bacon. Bake in the oven uncovered 15 minutes. Serve hot.