Ingredients
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6 ounce dried orecchiette pasta
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6 slices bacon
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 12 ounce jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
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1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
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¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 8 ounce package cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
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½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
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¼ teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 3-qt. baking dish. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Transfer pasta to prepared dish.
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In a 10-inch skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; chop when cool. Reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.
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Heat skillet with drippings over medium. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add next three ingredients (through cayenne pepper). Cook and stir 2 minutes. Add next two ingredients (through basil) and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until cream cheese melts. (Sauce consistency should resemble heavy cream; if necessary, thin with remaining pasta water, adding 1 Tbsp. at a time.)
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Stir next three ingredients (through black pepper) and bacon into sauce mixture. Pour mixture over pasta; stir to coat. Top with mozzarella cheese.
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Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.
Tip
Refrigerate artichoke heart marinade in a tightly sealed jar for up to 1 month—it makes a superlative vinaigrette for salad greens and chilled pasta salads.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 495 | Calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 31g | Carbs |
| 23g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
| Calories 495 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 32g | 41% |
| Saturated Fat 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol 82mg | 27% |
| Sodium 719mg | 31% |
| Total Carbohydrate 31g | 11% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 23g | 46% |
| Vitamin C 7.1mg | 8% |
| Calcium 393mg | 30% |
| Iron 2.7mg | 15% |
| Potassium 437mg | 9% |
| Folate, total 95.4mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 1.1mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.2mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
