Ingredients:
16 oz. pasta
9 slices bacon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2½ cups milk
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated or chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
9 slices bacon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2½ cups milk
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated or chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once water reaches a rolling boil, cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy
of al dente. Drain well and set aside. At the same time, thaw spinach according to package directions (I used the microwave method), drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large
skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a
paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease.
To make the cheese sauce, add the
reserved bacon grease to a medium saucepan with the butter. (If there
was not enough bacon grease to make 2 Tablespoons, replace the missing
amount by adding an equal amount of butter.) Heat over medium-high heat
until the butter is completely melted. Whisk in the flour and garlic
and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant (do not burn!), around 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook the mixture,
stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Stir in spices. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the cheeses until
completely melted and smooth.
Combine pasta, cheese sauce, bacon and spinach and pour mixture into casserole dish. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese it bubbly and top is golden brown.
Adapted from Annie's Eats.