Creamy Tortellini Broccoli Bacon Cups

These Creamy Tortellini Broccoli Bacon Cups feature tender tortellini and broccoli in a creamy sauce baked in a crispy bacon cup! A great recipe that your whole family will love and can even make together. These fun pasta cups – made with Buitoni Tortellini and Buitoni Pesto –are hearty enough to be a main meal or an appetizer. 

CREAMY TORTELLINI BROCCOLI BACON CUPS

This recipe is unique and is the ultimate comfort food. Creamy pasta is placed in a crispy bacon cup that can be eaten with your hand or with a fork!

My kids love helping me in the kitchen and this is a great, easy recipe to get them started. People always ask me how I get my kids in the kitchen but honestly, they are always asking to help and it’s a great opportunity to teach.

I have five kids and giving them tasks that they can be successful at gives them confidence in the kitchen. Start out with simple tasks like cooking the tortellini and stirring the cream sauce in this recipe.

My older kids helped cook the bacon and chop the broccoli.

INGREDIENTS

• BACON – The bacon is par cooked and formed into cups in a muffin tin and then filled with a creamy tortellini mixture.
• THREE CHEESE TORTELLINI – Cheesy tortellini is the base of this dish. We love Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini – it’s delicious and so easy to make!
• BROCCOLI – Fresh broccoli florets add some healthy freshness.
• CREAM CHEESE – The creamy sauce starts with cream cheese.
• HEAVY CREAM – Just a little cream to thin out our cream sauce.
• BASIL PESTO – Buitoni Pesto with Basil is packed with garlic and basil flavor.
• PARMESAN – A little sprinkle of Parmesan on top finishes off the cups.

HOW TO MAKE THESE

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon for 5-7 minutes or until bacon is almost done but still pliable. Let cool on paper towels.
2. While bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini and the bacon and cook for 7 minutes. Drain.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a muffin tin, use a precooked piece of bacon from step 1 to line the inside wall of the muffin tin wrapping in a circle (not on the bottom).  Use kitchen scissors to cut bacon to fit. Take another piece of bacon and zigzag it on the bottom of the muffin tin, covering the bottom of the circle. Repeat with remaining bacon.
4. In a large saucepan, melt the cream cheese and cream over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Add the pesto and stir until combined. 
5. Add the drained tortellini and broccoli to the cream sauce in the pan. 
6. Stir to coat.
7. Spoon tortellini mixture into the bacon cups, filling them as much as possible. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until warm.
8. Top with grated Parmesan if desired before serving. Serve warm.

You’re done!

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