Our Best Bite's Cheesy Tortellini Spinach Bake

This recipe from Our Best Bites is simple and hearty, but not one of Aaron's favorites.  It has 365 calories for 1 serving, and Aaron gave it a 4, Owen, Noah and I all gave it an 8.  This is simple, and I added a little more tortellini than the recipe called for, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.  I probably won't make this again, although it is easy and tastes good, just Aaron hated it :(.  Anyway, this is not too spinachy if you use fresh spinach, and my kids like it as do I.

20 oz cheese tortellini
3 strips thick sliced bacon, chopped with 2 T grease reserved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T flour
2 c almond milk (I used this because I have leftovers and it is way less calories)
salt
1 1/2 t basil
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 medium lemon zested and juiced
2 c baby spinach leaves
3/4 c mozzarella cheese
3/4 c parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.
Boil the tortellini until done, drain, and set aside.
Cook the bacon and reserve the grease.  Cook the garlic in the grease, then add the flour and make a roux.  Add the almond milk to make a white sauce, then add the zest, basil, red pepper flakes, and juice.  Cook until thickened.  Add the 1/2 c of both cheeses, spinach, and sauce to the tortellini, then place into a greased 8x8 pan and top with the remaining cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil, bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Let sit 10 more minutes before serving.

Cheesy Tortellini

 We had this great dinner from Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta cookbook.  This Cheesy Baked Tortellini was delicious, fast, and super easy.  The boys and Aaron gave it a 9, and I gave it an 8.  I'll have to update the calories later, I'm running behind on everything this week ;).  So to update, the calories per serving, and we made 10 servings, were 411.  Anyway, make this, you won't be sorry!

 

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Olive Oil (I didn't use this, I just sprayed the pan)

2 c Marinara sauce

1/3 c mascarpone cheese ( I used ricotta and I used more than 1/3 c)

¼ c chopped parsley

2 t chopped thyme

1 lb cheese tortellini

2 oz thinly sliced smoked mozzarella

¼ c parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish.

Whisk the marinara sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl to blend.  Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain.  Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish or dishes.  Top with the smoked mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 10 minutes longer.

Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

So we tried this soup the other night, and although I knew my kids weren't a big fan of soup, I decided to go with this anyway, because it's easy and filling.  I like that the Swiss chard added color and made it healthier, and I like that this came together so quickly.  I found this in Every Day Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis, a cookbook I checked out from the library.  I used bacon instead of pancetta, and I added double the beans and the tortellini, because I like my soups filling, not brothy.  We all gave this a 6, because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special.  We had some garlic bread with it, and overall it was a good meal.

Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

3 T olive oil

4 oz pancetta, chopped

3 large shallots, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 c chopped Swiss chard

6 c chicken broth

9 oz cheese tortellini

¼ t pepper

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pancetta, shallots, carrot and garlic and cook until the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans, Swiss chard, and broth.

Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the tortellini and cook 5 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen, or until just tender.  Season with pepper and serve.

Slow Cooker Tortellini Lasagna Casserole

We love red sauces in our family, and if they have sausage in them, all the better for Aaron. I knew this recipe would be a hit with everyone, and it was. We had Tortellini Lasagna Casserole, which is made in the crockpot.  It's fast, easy, and so worth the wait.  It was rated a perfect 10 from everyone.

The only changes I made were to add cheese to the top of the casserole, only about one ounce, and I used the ricotta instead of cottage cheese.  Someday I'll have a pasta maker, and can make our tortellini here at home, but since I don't have a pasta maker, I had to use store-bought tortellini, which is still really, really great.  I used homemade marinara sauce, and this just turned out so well.  The calories for 1/8 of the casserole are 493 calories. 
Tomorrow we're having some shrimp and potatoes, and a blueberry cake.