Tortellini Primavera

I am a lover of any form of pasta primavera, and I pretty much have been for the past 25-plus years. This recipe is a spinoff of the one I posted here back in the dark ages of this cooking website—except instead of big chunks of veggies, I keep them in a fine dice, and instead of penne pasta, I use cheese tortellini—and my two girls and I absolutely devoured it for dinner last night.

Marlboro Man and the boys, meanwhile, had beef and bean burritos. How’s that for reinforcing gender stereotypes on a Sunday evening?

Ha. It wasn’t intentional, man. It just…happens sometimes.

Anyway, back to the pasta: It was delicious! You’ll love it!

Here’s how I made it.

Mince up some onion pretty finely.

Zees ees a somewhat delicate deesh, so I want all the ingredients to be delicate, too!

Mince up some garlic, too!

Next, peel some carrots…

Cut them into matchsticks…

Then cut the sticks into a dice.

Cut some florets off a head of cauliflower…

Then break it into very small pieces.

Remember: Zees ees a delicate deesh!

Grab some frozen peas and have them at the ready…

Then grab a hunka hunka burning ham…

And cut it into pieces. Fun fact: I didn’t realize this was sliced ham until after I diced it up!

But ham is ham, man…no matter how you slice it.

Or dice it.

Melt some butter in a large skillet, and throw in the onions and garlic.

Stir it around and cook it for a minute or so…

Then throw in the carrots…

And the cauliflower…

Then stir it and cook it for another minute.

(I’m not cooking anything too long because I want the veggies to remain somewhat crisp and delightful. Not mushy and pitiful.)

(I love how the color of the carrots starts to transfer a bit to the cauliflower. Purty.)

Next, pour in a good splash of white wine…

And a splash of broth…

Then cook it for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly reduced.

And now for the fun part: pour in some heavy cream…

Then add a little salt (it doesn’t need much!) and plenty of pepper…

(I repeat: Go easy on the salt. Because of the cheese mixture in the tortellini (not to mention the Parmesan we're about to the sauce), the dish has plenty of salt going on as it is. Taste before adding more than just a sprinkle.)

Add about a half a cup of Parmesan…

Then stir it together and let the sauce bubble up and become magical.

Oh! I forgot about the tortellini.

Cook it and drain it and tell it you’ll be right back.

Back to the sauce: pour the frozen peas right on in…

Along with the ham.

Then stir it around so it’s all wonderfully, beautifully, sublimely combined. The peas and ham will heat up pretty quickly if the sauce is nice and hot.

Grab some basil if you have some.

You can chop it up, or you can roll the leaves into a tight roll and slice it really thin.

Then just sprinkle it in…

And stir it around.

Now just toss in the tortellini!

Oh…baby.

Delicious!

It’s everything that’s lovely about pasta primavera—crisp spring veggies, flavorful cream sauce—but the tortellini really makes it magical.

Enjoy every single bite! And you can make this even quicker and easier-er by using frozen peas and carrots. Supah fast!

Some other things you can add:

* Chopped or sliced mushrooms. Saute with the carrots and cauliflower.
* Finely diced red pepper. Not exactly a spring veggie, but it adds pretty color!
* Diced zucchini. Ditto about it not being a spring veggie…but I won’t tell anyone.
* Crumbled goat cheese. Stir into the sauce for a little extra richness.
* Softened cream cheese. Stir into the sauce for a little extra naughtiness.
* And of course, substitute any kind of pasta for the tortellini. Of course, it will then no longer be called Tortellini Primavera. Proceed at your own risk.

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

Recipe

Tortellini Primavera

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 6

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 whole Carrots, Peeled And Diced
• 1 cup Cauliflower, Broken Into Small Pieces
• 1/4 cup White Wine
• 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 8 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped (or Chiffonade)
• 3/4 cups Cooked Ham, Diced
• 1 cup Frozen Peas
• Extra Parmesan, For Serving
• Extra Basil, For Serving
• 1 pound Cheese Or Spinach Tortellini

Preparation Instructions

Cook tortellini a couple of minutes less than package directions call for. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir to cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots and cauliflower, stir, and cook 1 minute. Splash in wine and broth, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid reduces a bit. Stir in cream and Parmesan and stir.

When the mixture is hot, stir in peas, ham, salt, and pepper. Allow them to heat up in the sauce. When the sauce is hot, stir in the tortellini. Check for seasonings, add more if needed, and serve with extra Parmesan and basil.

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on March 31 2014