Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Tortellini Bake with Spinach, Tomatoes, Garlic, and Proscuitto


Jon wasn't home for dinner tonight and I felt like cooking, so it was a good night to use up what I had in the fridge.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups frozen tortellini (or any pasta)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; optional if you don't want too much heat
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup light cream
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheese; I used Parmesan and mozzarella
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch or flour
  • Chopped prosciutto; optional if you want a vegetarian version

Directions

  • Cook pasta, drain, set aside
  • In the meantime, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes; saute 1 minute; Add spinach, let wilt for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking dish (I remove the veggies from the pan before making the sauce so the tomatoes and spinach don't get too mushy)
  • Add another tsp olive oil to the hot pan. Add cornstarch and mix until you have a nice roux.
  • Add light cream; bring to a simmer.
  • Add cheeses; stir until creamy.
  • Mix the pasta, veggies, cream sauce, and prosciutto in a baking dish.
  • Bake on 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

This was fabulous - especially for just grabbing whatever I had leftover and whipping something up. I loved the sweetness of the tomatoes mixed with the flavor of the garlic, heat from the red pepper flakes, and smoky flavor from the prosciutto. I'd make it again, and I might even try it with cubed chicken breast as well.

Print this post

3 comments:

  1. this looks asbolutely mouthwatering! yumm!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mmm looks delicious! Funny what wonderful meals can come out of random leftover things huh?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love meals that clean out the fridge. This one sounds really like it would hit the spot!

    ReplyDelete