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Tortellini Primavera Recipe

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Tortellini image by K.C. Connors. Morguefile license.

I always feel triumphant when I manage to make a new recipe that my husband likes. He’s not a terribly fussy eater, but he is particular, and he doesn’t often like meatless main courses. So we’re stuck with endless fish dishes during Lent to maintain my Catholic fast, and neither of us are crazy about fish. I decided to experiment with a basic recipe I found in a cookbook I picked up at a garage sale many years ago. The resulting recipe, an entirely new creation of my own, was such a hit that not only did we enjoy it once, but each of us had seconds – and fought over the leftovers today for lunch. Best of all, the recipe took me only 15 minutes to make, start to finish.  Here’s the final recipe I created for Tortellini Primavera.

You’ll need…

  • One bag of frozen tortellini
  • One 12 ounce bag of frozen spinach
  • One large can of mushroom stems and pieces
  • One onion, chopped
  • Three cloves of garlic, minced
  • Two tablespoons of butter
  • One tomato
  • One 8 ounce block of reduced fat cream cheese
  • Half cup of 2% milk
  • Half cup of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • Basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste
Boil a pot of water to cook the tortellini. While the water is heating, microwave the frozen spinach according to package directions. Dice and chop the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions until translucent and cooked; add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse the mushroom pieces, add to skilled. Add the block of cream cheese and using your spoon, break it up while it melts. Add the milk and grated cheese when you add the cream cheese. Keep stirring. Add the cooked spinach. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse. Add tortellini to the skillet and keep stirring until it’s heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add milk a little at a time to thin. Add a sprinkle of basil, oregano, salt and pepper. At the last moment, dice up the tomato and add it to the saucepan, stirring and heating it. When the mixture is hot but NOT boiling, remove from heat and serve.