Cheese Tortellini with Pesto , Grape Tomatoes , & Parmesan Cheese

Recently I was faced with the dilemma of making a lot of vegetarian food for a party. I got a little panicky. I mean, I just don’t do well with rules. I always want to add a little crumbled bacon , some chopped anchovies , or place a giant meatball on top of everything. My mind was racing, how was I supposed to make a vegetarian dish that would fill guests up and actually taste good? So I came up with this meal; the recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or in my case, quadrupled. It was so easy to make and was ready in less than 20 minutes. In fact, it was so stress-free that I felt a bit like I was cheating. The best part? The dish was a big hit and it looked pretty too, even without that meatball…..

1 # Cheese Tortellini (My personal favorite is Arthur's or Monterey Pasta Co.)
1 Cup Basil Pesto
1 Pint Mini Pearl Grape Tomatoes
Shaved/grated Parmesan (really, whatever you have on hand!)
*Lemon (Optional)

Basic Pesto Recipe:
2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2-3 Tablespoons pine nuts
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (it really depends on how garlicky you like it)
* Blend the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in food processor for about 10 seconds. Slowly adding in the olive oil. Add the parmesan cheese until mixture resembles a thick paste. Season with salt & pepper. You can also add a little rice vinegar if you would like the pesto to keep in the fridge more than 3 days.
(Note: For those of you who don’t have a food processor or just want to save yourself time, using a pre-made pesto from the store, still tastes great too! I prefer Cibo Naturals basil pesto. You can buy a big jar from Costco and use the excess for other meals. (Spreading pesto on top of grilled salmon or chicken is delicious !)

Boil tortellini in water until al dente. Drain. Toss with pesto. Add grape tomatoes. If grape tomatoes seem to big, just cut them in half. Toss all together. Top with shaved parmesan and drizzle a squeeze of lemon on top. (The lemon isn’t necessary but I feel that it gives a lot of depth to the pesto!) Serve immediately and enjoy!

How simple is that? And ladies, your husbands will like it too, even the ones that think they are being punished if they don’t get meat for dinner! Also, I added some leftover roasted chicken (See previous blog) to my daughter’s portion to give her a little extra protein…..