Fresh Veggie "Alfredo" Tortellini

This entire entry is about the picture to the right. Please note that is not the amount made, that is the amount I served on my plate! This is extremely filling, so I wasn't able to eat it all... at least, not in one sitting!


Thanks to a recent visit with friends, I was introduced to doing something I had never thought about doing before. Adding fresh veggies to my homemade "alfredo" sauce. Now, I must say, I really don't like mushrooms (more of a texture thing than a taste thing), and I'm not keen on cooked bell peppers (I've only started liking grilled bell peppers in the past two years or so). Out of customary politeness, I ate the food that was served-- and fresh mushrooms and bell peppers were part of that 'optional' serving.

First, I finally got out to our little grocery store, by myself! That roughly 12" of snow has almost completely melted off. I'd forgotten to grab parmesan in my haste when a very nice neighbor took me to pick up some very needed groceries (eggs, butter, bread, etc) during our little snow storm this past week. I also needed to pick up a head lamp (I was pulled over by a very "twitchy" cop... he made me so nervous I nearly had a panic attack--like, a real one!), and check to see if I had sold any hats during said snow storm, and return the library books the kids checked out on one of their field trips.

Okay, so I did the errands, grabbed some tortellini pasta stuffed w/ rosemary and garlic chicken instead of using regular dry pasta (which is all I have). I also managed to buy some green onions and the fresh ingredients needed to make a red salsa and a green salsa (YUM).

Got home, and was very hungry because I'd had breakfast, but my gut hasn't been up to snuff so I didn't eat lunch. Ooops. The kids eat about every two hours-- but I often forget to eat.

Unloaded the groceries, read the directions on how to cook up the tortellini and got it going. Then I made my standard "alfredo" sauce, and while those were cooking and warming up (respectively), I chopped up the green onions, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and tomatoes.

The early dinner was AWESOME. In fact, I took so much, that I couldn't eat it all (so in between paragraphs I am 'snacking' on my refrigerated left overs-- yes, it doesn't even taste bad when it's cold!).

Here's how it goes... roughly.

Follow package directions for whatever pasta you use. If you have big eaters like I do. . . you'll need a lot of pasta!

In a separate pan, melt two sticks of butter and throw in about 5 cloves or so of minced garlic (I actually used a 'mincer' this time because I was in such a hurry, and of course I use more than only 5 cloves!). Let that sizzle for a bit, but not too high or too long. Add in heavy whipping cream. Sprinkle some nutmeg, pepper & salt in there. I also happened to have added a little chili powder and coriander (I think that's what it was). Keep this warm until ready for serving, but don't 'boil' it (like I did, oops). I like lots of parmesan for this dish, so I add some at this point, and more after dishing it up.

Chop fresh veggies: I used red bell pepper, green onions (including the green part), mushrooms and tomatoes. I wanted to keep this very rich dish fairly simple, but colorful. When it comes to eating healthy, a good rule of thumb is to have lots of color variety, as that's a nice spread of vitamins and nutrients-- and no, Cheetos do not count as a food group.

Drain pasta when it's done. Put sauce into other container to free up that pan, as you'll need it for the next step.

Let each person 'serve' up the amount of pasta, sauce and veggies they want, and warm it all together in the pan that the sauce had been made in.

Sit down together and gobble it, seeing who--without being told-- plays the "quiet game" the longest. I lost tonight, because I kept going, "Mmmmmm. MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmm. OHhhhhhh. MMMMMMmmmmmmmm" in between bites. I over ate, and the kids laughed at me.

WARNING: This dish is likely to make one a little groggy or sleepy and ready for nap time. I highly suggest serving this dish on a Sunday afternoon, or some other 'weekend' (not everyone gets the typical "weekend"), so that one may rest after eating this rich, creamy, delicious, satiating meal.

Thanks "Downtown," for the delicious idea. I have gone out of my comfort zone, and willingly add mushrooms and bell peppers because of how the flavor and texture works together to make one great meal, and making it all homemade (other than the pasta noodles) really... simple and YUM!

Enjoy this 'recipe' if you try it, and don't it look delicious? Oh, and one of the best parts? This takes only about a 1/2 hour to make.... it really depends on how fast you can chop and boil water! :)

~Cedeham~