This week's holidays and observations include, Paul Bunyan Day, World Radio Day and Library Lovers Day...just to name a few. One observation that caught my eye was tortellini day. I love pasta and could probably eat it three or four times a week, but tortellini is one of my favorites and you just can't beat a creamy cheesy sauce.
Tortellini are round, navel shaped pasta originally from the Emilia region (Bologna) in Italy, typically stuffed with cheese.
The legend of the tortellini dates back to medieval Italy and tells how Venus and Jupiter arrived at a tavern on the outskirts of Bologna one night, weary from battle. After much food and drink, they shared a room. The innkeeper, captivated by the two, followed them and peeked through the keyhole. All he could see was Venus's navel. Spellbound, he rushed to the kitchen and created tortellini in its image.
Enjoy!
Stacy
Creamy Tortellini
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
half a bag of baby spinach
1 cup half and half, plus up to a 1/2 cup more, if desired
salt
pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, plus up to 1/4 cup more, if desired
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cups uncooked tortellini
grated Parmesan, to serve
Directions:
Heat sun dried tomatoes in oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add spinach and continue cooking until spinach starts to wilt, about 3 minutes.
Add half and half, season with salt and pepper and add paprika. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer and add mozzarella. Stir to melt then add fresh basil.
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix to coat. Add more half and half and/or cheese if mixture appears to dry.
When serving, top each bowl with Parmesan cheese.
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