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tortellini à la cherry tomatoes

(2 ratings)
sanity_chek avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Sanity Chek
@sanity_chek
Annapolis, MD

This is a great way to prepare pasta without reaching for a jar of sauce! Great flavor, fun to make and everyone will enjoy. This dish is just spicy enough to be called spicy. Reduce chili pepper flakes to your liking or add none at all. It will still taste great.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Want to make an easy pasta dish for dinner tonight? Give this one a try. We were pleasantly surprised with how much favor is in this dish. The bright cherry tomatoes and fresh basil add a sweet flavor. Red pepper flakes add a punch of spice (and can be omitted if necessary). The pasta is topped with a creamy half and half sauce that absorbs into the soft and cheesy pasta. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh crisp salad for an easy weeknight meal.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 18 Min
method Saute

Ingredients For tortellini à la cherry tomatoes

  • 1 1/2 lb
    cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
  • 20-30
    cherry tomatoes cut in half (about a pint)
  • 1/2 lg
    Vidalia or sweet onion sliced thin - not chopped
  • 4 clove
    garlic, sliced thin lengthwise
  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    black pepper or twenty twists of fresh ground
  • 2 dash
    ground nutmeg
  • 2 lg
    sprigs fresh basil (10-15 leaves per sprig)
  • 1/4 tsp
    chili flakes
  • 2 c
    pasta water, reserved after boiling
  • 2 Tbsp
    butter
  • 1 c
    half and half
  • 1 Tbsp
    corn starch

How To Make tortellini à la cherry tomatoes

  • Large pot of water boiling.
    1
    Prepare a large pot of boiling water to boil your tortellini.
  • Onion, garlic, chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, basil, and tomato in a skillet.
    2
    While that's heating, in a large sauté pan, add the olive oil (or any light neutral-flavored oil... I use grape-seed oil) and heat on medium heat. Toss in the onion sliced, garlic, chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 large sprig of fresh basil leaves separated from the stalk, & tomato halves. Saute on medium to heat for about 20 minutes, switching to med-low halfway. You want to keep your onions translucent or golden, but not browned. Add the two Tbsp butter here at this point. You want to start to see liquid at the bottom as you are stirring.
  • Removing cooked tortelloni from the pot.
    3
    Drop your tortellini in the ready and waiting boiling cook 3-4 min. If frozen, you may want to cook a couple of min longer. Remove from water quickly with a large slotted spoon into the saute pan with the other ingredients. Save the pasta water! Turn the heat on your sauté pan back up to medium.
  • Tortelloni and pasta water added to the skillet.
    4
    Take one cup of the pasta water and add to the saute pan. Stir the pasta and the other ingredients gently so the tortellini don’t break. Let this simmer for 2 min.
  • Corn starch and half and half added to the sauce to thicken.
    5
    Mix corn starch into one cup half and half so it is dissolved completely. Pour into pasta mixture. Toss gently a few times. You will see the sauce quickly start to turn into a glaze that sticks to the tortellini within 1-2 min. If your sauce is thicker than you like, add another 1/2-cup of pasta water and toss. Remove from heat. At this point, you're ready to serve!
  • A bowl of Tortelloni a la Cherry Tomatoes.
    6
    Serve each plate (or bowl) with freshly grated cheese, add 2-3 drizzles of olive oil, and decorate with fresh basil leaves.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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