By Brayden is one hundred and fifty weeks old. Eden is eight weeks old. The Sapulpa-Elementary cooking-class curriculum is at the small final-draft stage. The Sue’s spicy tomato basil tortellini is the planned third-lesson recipe — the small one-pan-pasta lesson that teaches kids the small starting-from-nothing-and-getting-to-dinner approach.
Sue’s spicy tomato basil tortellini is a small one-pan pasta — cheese tortellini, cherry tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan. The dish is cooked in a single skillet on the stove. The cherry tomatoes burst during the small initial-sauté, the tortellini cooks in the released-tomato-liquid plus a small splash of pasta-water, the basil and parmesan go on at the end.
The technique question on a one-pan tortellini is the liquid-management. Tortellini absorbs more liquid than dried pasta does, so the small splash of pasta-water needs to be slightly more generous (about half a cup per pound of tortellini). The lesson for a small ten-year-old is the small adjust-the-liquid-as-you-cook awareness that comes from watching the pasta cook in real time.
Sunday I made it at the apartment as the small test-bake. Dustin had two helpings. Brayden had a small portion of plain tortellini-with-cheese.
Aunt Linda’s small twice-weekly Tulsa-visits continue. She arrives. She holds Eden. She plays with Brayden. She drinks the small coffee. We talk for two hours. The small Aunt-Linda-and-Roy small post-retirement rhythm has settled into the small comfortable-pace they have been building since Roy stopped driving.
Dustin’s small Tulsa-shop work continues. The small shop-manager-and-eventually-owner trajectory is in its small mid-phase. Bobby is moving toward the small retirement-handoff. The small five-year-buyout-structure is in its small operational-rhythm.
Sue’s Spicy Tomato Basil Tortellini
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 package (20 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Soften the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Build the sauce. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and broth. Stir in the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, letting the sauce thicken slightly.
- Cook the tortellini. Add the tortellini directly to the simmering sauce. Stir to coat, cover the pan, and cook for 5–7 minutes — or according to package directions — until the tortellini are tender and cooked through.
- Finish with cream and basil. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and torn basil leaves. Let it all come together for 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt or red pepper as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately with crusty bread if you have it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 510 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 65g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 890mg