Tortellini Bake with Spinach, Tomatoes, Garlic, and Proscuitto

Jon wasn't home for dinner tonight and I felt like cooking, so it was a good night to use up what I had in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups frozen tortellini (or any pasta)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; optional if you don't want too much heat
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese; I used Parmesan and mozzarella
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch or flour
• Chopped prosciutto; optional if you want a vegetarian version

Directions

• Cook pasta, drain, set aside
• In the meantime, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes; saute 1 minute; Add spinach, let wilt for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking dish (I remove the veggies from the pan before making the sauce so the tomatoes and spinach don't get too mushy)
• Add another tsp olive oil to the hot pan. Add cornstarch and mix until you have a nice roux.
• Add light cream; bring to a simmer.
• Add cheeses; stir until creamy.
• Mix the pasta, veggies, cream sauce, and prosciutto in a baking dish.
• Bake on 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

This was fabulous - especially for just grabbing whatever I had leftover and whipping something up. I loved the sweetness of the tomatoes mixed with the flavor of the garlic, heat from the red pepper flakes, and smoky flavor from the prosciutto. I'd make it again, and I might even try it with cubed chicken breast as well.

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