Parsley Tortellini Toss Food

CHEESE TORTELLINI WITH WALNUT-PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• Place walnuts, oil, parsley, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender; pulse into a coarse puree.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil; stir in tortellini and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini float to the top and the filling is hot, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain tortellini, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Toss tortellini with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, walnut pesto, and butter. Add more of the cooking water if mixture seems dry. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and pass more at the table.

TASTY TORTELLINIS

Steps:

• Cook tortellini according to package directions--al dente.
• While tortellini is cooking, prepare marinade. Combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, basil, chopped parsley, onions, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain tortellini and rinse in cold water. Pour marinade over tortellini, add olives (and optional ingredients, see above) and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add Parmesan and some fresh parsley for garnish, if desired. Serve with toothpicks.

MUFFULETTA TORTELLINI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the tomatoes, giardiniera vegetables, artichokes, olives, olive oil and vinegar to the bowl with the tortellini.
• Thinly slice the mozzarella roll. Set half aside for garnishing the pasta. Quarter the remaining half and toss with the tortellini and vegetables.
• Season the pasta with additional salt and pepper. Toss with the parsley, reserving about a teaspoon for garnish. Transfer to a flat plate and surround the pasta salad with the reserved cheese slices and top with the parsley garnish. Serve at room temperature.

NUTTY CHEESE TORTELLINI

Steps:

• Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and keep warm. In the same pan, melt butter. Stir in the tortellini, parsley and walnuts; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

FRESH PARSLEY TAGLIATELLE WITH PORCINI

Steps:

• Make pasta:
• In a food processor blend together 2 1/2 cups flour, oil, yolks, and 6 tablespoons water, incorporating as much of additional 2 tablespoons water as necessary, until mixture just begins to form a ball. On a lightly floured surface knead dough, incorporating as much of additional flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Quarter dough and wrap 3 pieces separately in plastic wrap.
• Set smooth rollers of a pasta machine at widest setting. Flatten unwrapped piece of dough into a rectangle and fee through rollers. Fold rectangle in half and feed through rollers 8 more times, folding in half crosswise each time and dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed through rollers without folding. Continue to feed dough through, without folding, turning dial to make space between rollers narrower each time, until dough has been rolled through narrowest setting and is a smooth sheet, about 2 1/2 feet by 4 inches. Halve pasta sheet crosswise. Lightly brush 1 side of 1 pasta sheet with cold water and evenly arrange 1/2 cup parsley over it. Drape remaining half sheet over parsley-topped pasta sheet, gently pressing down to force out any air. Set rollers to second narrowest setting and feed filled pasta sheet between rollers. Put pasta sheet on a dry kitchen towel. Roll out and fill remaining 3 pieces dough in same manner, putting each on a dry kitchen towel.
• Attach ribbon pasta cutters to pasta machine and attach handle to widest cutter. Line a tray with another dry kitchen towel. Feed first pasta sheet, which will have dried slightly but should still be soft and pliable, through cutter and toss tagliatelle generously with flour. Form tagliatelle loosely into a nest and arrange on towel-lined tray. Make more tagliatelle in same manner with remaining pasta sheets. Makes about 3/4 pound.
• Fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for tagliatelle.
• Trim mushrooms and cut stems from caps. Separately cut stems and caps into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Mince garlic. In a large skillet cook stems in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer stems to a small bowl. In skillet cook caps in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until caps are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add stems, garlic, and butter and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is evaporated. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper.
• Cook _tagliatelle_in boiling water until al dente about 1 1/2 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain tagliatelle in colander. Add tagliatelle and reserved cooking water to mushroom mixture and toss to combine.
• Serve tagliatelle immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order from Dean & DeLuca, (800) 221-7714.
• **Available seasonally at many specialty food shops and by mail order from Comptoir Exotique, (888) 547-5471.

TORTELLINI, SHRIMP, AND VEGETABLES WITH SPINACH-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Do all of your ingredient preparation and set out everything before you ever turn on the stove for final preparation.
• This recipe is really just an Italian stir-fry.
• Just about everything can be done up to a day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to cook.
• Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting to cook.
• Cook tortellini according to package directions.
• Drain, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and spread on paper towels to cool.
• Very lightly steam spinach until slightly wilted but still bright green in color, about 1-2 minutes, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, and drain thoroughly.
• Steam asparagus for about 2-3 minutes, rinse under cold water, and drain.
• Combine parsley, basil, oregano, and scallions, and set aside.
• Combine wine and sherry, add bouillon granules, and stir to dissolve.
• Stir in cornstarch, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a wok or very large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add chopped onion, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add minced garlic, and continue cooking until garlic is fragrant and onions are slightly translucent.
• Increase heat to high, add shrimp, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
• Add both types of mushrooms and freshly ground black pepper, and continue cooking until the mushroom start to give up their juice.
• Add red bell pepper and tomatoes, and saute for 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to medium-high, and add parsley-basil mixture, combining thoroughly.
• Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and tossing constantly.
• Add spinach, and stir to combine.
• Add cream and Parmesan cheese, and stir to combine.
• Add tortellini and asparagus, and toss gently.
• Stir wine-cornstarch mixture, and pour over all.
• Add Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, and stir gently to combine.
• Cook until thickened and thoroughly heated through, about 2-3 more minutes, stirring gently to coat everything with the sauce.
• Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and more freshly ground black pepper.
• Pass more freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the side if desired.
• Serve with a crisp vinaigrette salad and hot garlic bread.

SKEWERED TORTELLINI W/ PARSLEY CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook tortellini until just done, about 8 minutes.
• drain, rinse with cold water and toss with a little olive oil if not serving at once.
• In a food processor, drop garlic in a whirl 10 seconds, add sunflower seeds, grated cheese, capers and parsley and whirl to a coarse puree.
• with the machine running add 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin stream.
• Season with salt & pepper.
• In a saucepan, combine tortellini with sauce to coat heating through.
• pour into a warm shallow bowl to serve.
• Skewer several tortellini with toothpicks or small skewers and provide additional picks on the side for the remaining tortellini.
• This can also be prepared a a cold pasta dish.

PARSLEY TORTELLINI SALAD

Steps:

• Cook tortellini according to package; drain and rinse under cold water.
• Place in a large bowl; add the next eight ingredients.
• In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well.
• Pour over salad and toss to coat.
• Cover and chill till served.