Tortellini Primavera

This dish is so good and creamy and hearty and easy and light. That's right. I said light.

Tortellini Primavera

• 1 pkg (19oz) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 small onion, chopped or thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp butter
• 2/3 C skim milk
• 1 pkg (8oz) fat-free or reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
• 1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in milk; heat through. Stir in cream cheese until blended. Add spinach and Italian seasoning; heat through.

2. Drain the tortellini; toss with the sauce and tomato. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

So, I've made this a couple times and haven't ever followed the recipe exactly. Here's what I did and why:

I hate mushrooms, so I leave them out. Nasty. I think this would be really delicious with tomato, but tomatoes at this time of year are gross. A dish like this is so adaptable. I like to use a red bell pepper. I've used edamame. Frozen peas would be good. Asparagus would be fantastic. I also don't use a 10oz box of spinach. I think it would overwhelm the dish with spinachyness. In fact, for pretty much any recipe I don't use the 10oz box of spinach, it's just too much. I buy frozen chopped spinach in a bag, then just toss in a handful or two.

I have yet to find a good frozen tortellini. Frankly, of all the kinds I've tried, which isn't really that many, I like the dried kind from Bertolli the best that's found in the pasta aisle instead of the freezer. Someday I want to make my own, but I don't have a pasta roller and I don't know if I'm up to the challenge of rolling pasta dough thin enough by hand. If you really want to cut calories, use regular pasta instead of tortellini. I think farfalle or fusilli would be perfect. I think part of my problem with the frozen tortellini is that I don't like white pasta anymore. I've grown accustomed to whole grain, and now I prefer it. Which is probably a good thing because I adore pasta and eat way too much of it.

You could add some grilled chicken, but really, it's so good and hearty, that I really don't miss having meat in it. Enjoy!