Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6
My sister tried a similar pasta dish in a Dallas restaurant and challenged me to figure out how to make it at home (Galileo in the Paseo also had a similar dish back in the day). I’m pleased with my re-creation, and it’s been a constant rotation in both of our quick, weeknight dinner menus. My sis tops hers with grilled shrimp, but I think it’s just as good without it. If you choose to serve it with shrimp, use ½ pound shelled, deveined shrimp with the tails on, skewer them and baste with melted butter, lemon juice, and rosemary, then grill for 1½ -2 minutes per side.
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary, minced
• 4-5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 cup veggie broth (chicken broth could certainly substitute)
• 1 small can chipotles in adobo sauce (see note below!)*
• 1 8-ounce package light cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)
• 2 9-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini
• 1 head of fresh broccoli, chopped
• 2 fresh Roma tomatoes
• fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste
• French bread
Directions:
1. Fill a large stockpot with water for pasta; bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in butter/oil until golden (3-5 minutes).
3. Stir in rosemary and garlic and cook another minute or so, but don’t let the garlic brown.
4. Add veggie broth and adobo sauce/chipotles* and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
5. Whisk in cream cheese until it melts. (I chose light cream cheese instead of heavy cream because I’m more likely to have it on hand in my refrigerator, and it’s lower in fat and calories.)
6. When the water comes to a boil, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drop the chopped broccoli into the boiling water with the pasta for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.
7. While the pasta/broccoli cooks, puree the chipotle-cream sauce with a blender or food processor. This makes it smooth and creamy (plus I have a problem with onion texture, but that’s another post).
8. Chop the tomatoes.
9. Drain the pasta/broccoli when it’s done and toss with the sauce. Top with chopped tomatoes and fresh Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted or grilled French bread.
*Chipotles in adobo sauce are available in the Mexican food section of your local grocery store. Be careful when using chipotle peppers if you’re not used to them, or if you have an aversion to spiciness. If you like your food on the mild side, remove all the peppers and just use the adobo sauce for flavor. If you want it spicier, add 1-3 peppers along with the adobo sauce (they’ll get pureed at the end). As for the leftover chipotles, I freeze them and use them two at a time when I make a pot of black beans to give them a smoky/spicy flavor.
