Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

Posts will probably sneak down to only two a week here on Baking with Blondie for a while - we are only about 8 weeks away from baby time! My pregnancies (well, the first and only prior to this one) have been super mild in the first trimester, but SUPER insane the last trimester. So things will definitely slow down, but I promise I'm still here, still trying new recipes for this little food blog of mine! 

Easy dinner recipes have been my middle name throughout this entire pregnancy. I love being able to enjoy something quick and easy, without having to be in the kitchen standing for too long. Meals like this one have been my complete go-to sanity, and my family eats them up quickly, so I'd say we've found something we're going to stick to for now. 

We LOVE tortellini. I love how versatile it can be, and how fast it cooks up and soaks up whatever flavor it's surrounded with in the pan while cooking. This time, we decided to go with some juicy tomatoes, and bright green spinach. It all came together so beautifully. There's some fresh basil and oregano to help season everything along the way, and the soft cheese inside the tortellini echoes the parmesan sauce everything is coated in. It's seriously fantastic! 

You could serve this next to some crusty baguette bread, and some fresh fruit, and call it good! Okay, it would even be awesome next to some grilled chicken breast if you want to make it even more hearty. I just love all that beautiful color mixed in with the tortellini. And guess what? We didn't use a million pans to make this dish, either. Just one for the tortellini, and one for the sauce. You could even cook the tortellini in a big pot, rinse it out afterwards, and start the sauce in there, too. One pot. Bam. Dinner is awesome, effortless, and right on the table within 20 minutes start to finish. Hope you're all having a beautiful week! See you again with more yummy and easy recipes. :) 

Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

makes 5 servings

ingredients:

1 20oz pkg three cheese tortellini (refrigerated, near the produce section usually)

2 T unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T all-purpose flour

1 t onion powder

1 1/4 C milk

1/2 C heavy cream

1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 1/2 C packed chopped fresh spinach

2-3 T chopped fresh basil

2 t chopped fresh oregano

salt and ground black pepper to taste

6 T shredded parmesan

red pepper flakes, optional, for serving

method:

1. Cook tortellini according to the directions on the package, drain, set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When completely melted, add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and onion powder, and cook for one minute. 

3. Continue whisking while pouring in the milk and cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and sauce is simmering. 

4. Add in tomatoes, spinach, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook several minutes until spinach is wilted. Add in parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add in tortellini. Toss gently, and sprinkle with more parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately. 

recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy