Easy CheeseTortellini with Broccoli and Red Peppers
Posted Oct 24 2012 9:44pm
Easy Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli & Red Peppers
Looking for an easy Weight Watchers friendly vegetarian pasta recipe? I hope you’ll give this Easy Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli and Red Peppers a try. It’s adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Classics: 300 Essential and Easy Recipes for Every Meal by Jeanne Lemlin, a Massachusetts based vegetarian cookbook writer and cooking instructor, who described it as a staple in her house because it is quick, tasty and uses just a few simple ingredients that are unsually in her refrigerator.
Her recipe as written calls for frozen ravioli, but I prefer fresh tortellini so used it instead. I also added some thinly sliced mushrooms that were sitting around in the fridge.
I enjoyed it for dinner one night and the leftovers for lunch the next day. This is an easy, healthy and delicious vegetarian pasta recipe that’s going in my regular rotation.
Enjoy!
Easy Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli and Red Peppers
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Quick, easy, healthy and delicious vegetarian pasta dish you’re whole family will love
Serves: 5
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin 2-inch strips
3 garlic cloves minced
1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
3 cups small broccoli florets
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the pepper is very soft, about 10 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
Add a large handful of salt to the boiling water and then drop in the tortellini. Cook according to the the package instructions, adding in the broccoli florets about 3 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking.
Reserve ½ cup pasta water and when the pasta and broccoli are tender, drain them thoroughly in a colander and then return them to the pot.
Carefully stir in the red pepper mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, reserved pasta water, basil and salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (about 1-1/3 cups): 385 calories, 14.1 g fat, 52.1 g carbs, 12. 6 g protein and 10 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
To bulk up this pasta further, saute more vegetables, such as thinly sliced mushrooms, onions, or zucchini along with the red pepper strips and garlic.
More Weight Watchers Friendly Pasta Recipes
Easy Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli & Red Peppers
Looking for an easy Weight Watchers friendly vegetarian pasta recipe? I hope you’ll give this Easy Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli and Red Peppers a try. It’s adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Classics: 300 Essential and Easy Recipes for Every Meal
by Jeanne Lemlin, a Massachusetts based vegetarian cookbook writer and cooking instructor, who described it as a staple in her house because it is quick, tasty and uses just a few simple ingredients that are unsually in her refrigerator.
Her recipe as written calls for frozen ravioli, but I prefer fresh tortellini so used it instead. I also added some thinly sliced mushrooms that were sitting around in the fridge.
I enjoyed it for dinner one night and the leftovers for lunch the next day. This is an easy, healthy and delicious vegetarian pasta recipe that’s going in my regular rotation.
Enjoy!