Lemon Broccoli Tortellini
Cheese tortellini tossed with roasted broccoli, wilted spinach, butter, lemon and Parmesan. It works as a quick weeknight main or as a side, and reheats well for lunches.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Broccoli
- 1½ pound broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
- 2 clove garlic, chopped
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Tortellini
- 1 pound cheese tortellini, refrigerated or frozen
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 dash crushed red pepper
- 3 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 1 piece lemon zest, zest of 1 large lemon
- 1 piece lemon juice, juice of 1 large lemon
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the broccoli pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Add the garlic and toss broccoli until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring once. Remove broccoli when it is crisp and slightly charred. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. When cooked, drain, but reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Set the water and tortellini aside.
- Put the pot back on the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, crushed red pepper, and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and stir.
- Turn the heat to low and add the cooked tortellini and roasted broccoli to the pot. Stir in the reserved pasta water and lemon juice. Cook on low until tortellini is warm, about two minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the tortellini and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.