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The best simple dinner that you can whip up in about 30 minutes. Comfort food at it’s tastiest, tortellini made with homemade pesto and Alfredo sauce.
PESTO ALFREDO TORTELLINI
This is the best, quick and easy comfort dinner I’ve made in a while and I’ve been craving more since takingthe last bite. I’m staying strong right now but I’m afraid I’ll cave very soon.
We’re all moved in to the new house now. Boy, did I underestimate the sheer amount of time that a move takes and just how much stuff we had packed in our little apartment. Last time we moved, we were 17 and 23 and we were moving to our little 2 bedroom apartment. We had next to nothing to move. All we had in our bedroom was a bed (mattress on a metal frame), an old, refurbished dresser and a TV. We had a couch and a hand-me-down coffee table in a living room.
It’s so fun to reminisce about everything we had and didn’t have when we were just dating, while looking around at our firsthouse with our son, after 12 years of being together. And while we are looking around and reminiscing, we are starving after the full day of unpacking. Quick and easy dinner like this delightful Pesto Alfredo Tortellini is just what we needed.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CREAMY PESTO ALFREDO TORTELLINI
Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to the package instructions, drain, and set aside.
Alfredo Sauce:
In a small sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat and add pressed garlic. Saute until fragrant (just a few seconds) and slowly add heavy cream WHILE whisking. Heat through on medium heat, keep stirring slowly.
Add sour cream, Parmesan cheeses, salt and pepper. Keep cooking on medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until all smooth.
To Make Tortellini:
In the pot where you cooked the tortellini, add pesto and mix well.Add Alfredo sauce and Mozzarella cheese. Mix well and serve with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.
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Pesto Alfredo Tortellini
The bestsimple dinnerthat you can whip up in about30 minutes.Comfort foodat it’s tastiest,tortellinimade with homemadepestoandAlfredo sauce.
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on January 29, 2016. Updated May 10, 2020.
ABOUT LYUBA
I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...
Garlic Bread:Classic garlic bread or garlic knots are perfect for sopping up the delicious sauce or broth from the tortellini. Side Salad:A fresh salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette adds a refreshing contrast to the richness of the tortellini.
It has a pretty high sodium content unless you make it from scratch, but both versions have an added protein boost. Alfredo sauce is based on cream and cheese as its two primary ingredients. Neither sauce is going to win a health competition, but pesto is the superior option for that reason.
Meat: Italian sausage, ground turkey or grilled chicken would be delicious in the meat sauce. Those can be used instead of, or in addition to, the ground beef. Vegetables: Feel free to add your favorite vegetables such as roasted zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
Traditionally, tortellini are served in classic beef and vegetable broth. The cooked meat can be served as a second course with salsa verde and mostarda mantovana, an Italian condiment made with candied fruit cooked in a mustard-flavored syrup.
Caprese.Caesar salad, steamed broccoli in white wine sauce, steamed Asparagus w/ parmesan cheese, salt. Or simply add vegetables to the Alfredo sauce; like mushrooms, peas, broccoli, it'll give the pasta some bulk and a wider flavor.
Serve the pasta with some crusty bread or freshly baked Rosemary Focaccia with Roasted Garlic to capture any creamy pesto left on your plate. For a side, I suggest staying light and fresh to balance the rich pasta sauce. A bright and crunchy Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad is this pasta recipe's perfect match.
We're always being told to eat a more plant-based diet, and the large quantity of herbs (and sometimes vegetables) in pesto is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and perfect for diabetics to consume. The carbohydrate content of pestos can vary from 2% to 15% and may be high or low glycemic.
And it's those herbs—specifically basil—that makes pesto a bright mouthful of summer. Recipes often vary, but basic preparations always center on the previously mentioned basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil, with Italian cheeses like parmigiano reggiano and pecorino romano.
Tortellini are stuffed pasta originally from the Italian region of Emilia (in particular Bologna and Modena). Traditionally they are stuffed with a mix of meat (pork loin, raw prosciutto, mortadella), Parmesan cheese, egg and nutmeg and served in capon broth (in brodo di cappone).
Once your tortellini is cooked, savour by itself, toss with a fresh sauce, or use it in a delicious recipe. If you prefer chicken, shrimp or vegetables, tortellini are perfect for an elevated yet simple meal that the entire family will enjoy.
Tortellini is a ring shaped stuffed pasta that is typically filled with meat, cheese or vegetables. Tortelloni is a larger version of Tortellini. It is a traditional pasta in the Bologna region of Italy and is often served in broth.
In Italy, meat tortellini are traditionally served in broth, but they are enjoyed with other toppings, too: cheese sauce, cream sauce, pesto or tomato sauce. There are also cheese versions of tortellini. Tortellini are also eaten for dessert!
Like tortelloni, tortellini can be served with a wide range of sauces or with just butter. But the traditional way to serve tortellini is to serve it with a bowl of rich, flavorful chicken or beef broth. The meat broth enhances the flavor of the seasoned meat in the pasta.
If the recipe has been followed correctly, all the single flavors of the different kinds of meat should be perceived. Traditions want tortellini to be served in capon's or hen's broth and eaten with a spoon.
The best side dishes to serve with carbonara are garlic bread, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, butternut squash, roasted cherry tomatoes, focaccia, insalata caprese, bacon wrapped asparagus, caesar salad, sautéed spinach, antipasto platter, and grilled zucchini.
Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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