Thursday Recipe:  Blue Cheese and Bacon Florentine Stuffed Shells

Serves 4-6

16 jumbo pasta shells

1 lb. bacon chopped

2 tsp. minced garlic

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

12 oz. Ricotta 

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese Shred

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread

1 large egg

1 T fresh basil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp garlic pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the pasta shells al dente.  Drain and rinse.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, fry the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove bacon from pan and reserve some of the bacon grease to sauté the garlic.  Add the spinach to the pan and cook until reduced by half.  The leaves will wilt but color remains a bright green.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  In a mixing bowl, stir together Ricotta, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread.  Add cooled spinach and bacon, egg, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and mix well. Stuff each shell with a generous amount of the ricotta mixture and place carefully in the baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking another 10-15 minutes, until the top browns and sauce bubbles.  Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese and serve warm.  Enjoy!