Tortellini with Spinach and Tomatoes by Cooking Light

This recipe had been sitting in my queue for a while when, miraculously in the middle of November, cherry tomatoes were a good price at Aldi. I think they were .89 for a pint, normally not anything to scream about during tomato season, but in the winter? Love it. Pair this with a bag of tortellini that had been in the freezer waiting for such an opportunity and we had the makings of a delish evening.

I am definitely not a cooking expert. But looking at the seasoning list- garlic, red pepper, basil, and salt- I thought maybe it maybe it would be lacking in flavor. Not so. Even without fresh basil, these four spices, with the help of the chicken broth, were fantastic.

Tortellini with Spinach and Tomatoes by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 (9 ounce) package fresh three-cheese tortellini

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic [or a couple of cloves]

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil [or dried, if you don't have fresh]
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach [or several handfuls]

Directions 

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions
2. While tortellini cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes, broth, basil, salt, and baby spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until baby spinach wilts. Stir in tortellini; cook 1 minute.

I love spinach, and you will too after seeing this infogram. But sauteing it like seen here kind of gets to me.... like seaweed. My new thing when adding spinach to dishes like this is to snip the spinach leaves with kitchen shears, like you would basil or cilantro. Then you have the color and nutrients of spinach without the wilty clumps.

Don't have tortellini? Use ravioli! Or penne! Or whatever, it'll be delicious.

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1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil [or dried, if necessary]

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach [the more the better!]

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.

2. While tortellini cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 30 seconds.

3. Add tomatoes, broth, basil, salt, and baby spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until baby spinach wilts. Stir in tortellini; cook 1 minute.

As much as I love spinach, there is something that gets me with the wilted texture. It reminds me of seaweed. To combat this, instead of throwing in handfuls of leaves as is, I snip them with kitchen shears into thin strips and chunks. Nothing scientific about it, I just whack at the handful as you would snip basil or cilantro. Then you can enjoy the nutritional benefit of all that green stuff without the wilty seaweed feel.