This oh-so-tasty side dish is lightning fast to make and inexpensive, as well. Your guests will think they’re in a fancy restaurant.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4)
3 cups tortellni (fresh or frozen, of course fresh is usually tastier)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook tortellini al dente (which basically means undercook it a bit, so it’s slightly tender, but still firm). Drain well.
2. Heat wok or sautee pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add olive oil and tortellini, and flip frequently until edges start to turn golden brown (this will make the edges a bit crispy).
4. Add chopped basil and toss until the tortellini is evenly “speckled”. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Alternatives: You can scale back (or add more) basil. Note that basil carries a strong flavor, and it’s the strongest when it’s added last (the more it cooks, the less flavorful it becomes). I’ve added fresh garlic before, and usually one small clove is enough.

If you’re a cheese fanatic, you could also add some fresh ground parmesan.

Ideas: On this particular day, the Basil Tortellini was a side to shrimp and vegetables. I was short on time, so I did use 1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans & peas). I sauteed the veggies in some extra virgin olive oil with 3-4 dashes of kosher salt, and a teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Once slightly tender, I grilled some peeled shrimp and added it to the veggies.

Posted Sunday, February 18th, 2007 at 4:18 pm EST
Read more in Recipes

RSS 2.0 feed | leave a response | trackback from your own site