Tortellini Straw and Hay - A Family Favorite
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Get your kids in the Kitchen |
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The boys are just learning basic knife skills and how not to cut yourself on the box grater. (I'm still learning that one myself) With adult supervision, the boys love helping create special dinners; and with some good cooking knowledge under their belts, they can make this for their dates in 7-10 years. This was a great time to discuss proper handwashing and how to not cross contaminate our prepped food as well. There's things we just do completely out of habit and don't think about. It's amazing that having children really makes you stop and think about every detail of your day. |
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Ingredients |
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How to Make |
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Prep everything first. Dice the Bacon Cube the Ham if not purchased already diced or cubed Mince your garlic Slice your mushrooms Grate your cheese (We used a 50/50 blend of Romano and Parmesan) 4 TBSP of Butter is 1/2 stick, cut your stick in half Get water boiling for the pasta Preheat a Chef's pan or other large deep pan to Medium/High Measure your frozen peas Measure your Whipping Cream and Half and Half |
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| Add your diced bacon to the hot chef's pan and fry until almost crispy. |
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| Add the half a stick of butter (4 TBSP) |
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| Move the butter around the pan until completely melted. Add the mushrooms and evenly distribute to encourage some browning of the mushrooms. |
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| Mushrooms are like sponges and tend to absorb fat and liquid they are in. They will release some of this as they cook. When the mushrooms are slightly browned and soft, add the minced garlic. |
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As you can see, I sliced my garlic vs. mincing it. The smaller the garlic is cut, the more surface area and the stronger the garlic flavor released will be. To me, slicing results in a sweeter garlic and it comes down to preference and the garlic used. Garlic cooks very quickly and easily burns. Incorporate the garlic and after 30 secs - 1 minute add the ham. |
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Mix the ham into your browned goodness. The moisture from the ham will loosen any brown bits on the bottom of your pan. This is where flavor comes from. Let your food brown! The ham really only needs to heat through. 2 Minutes tops. Pour the Cream and Half and Half in and stir.  |
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It will almost immediately begin to simmer. This is perfect. We want the milk fats to naturally thicken the sauce. Stir every 30 seconds or so to see how it's thickening. You'll notice the brown bits coming away from the sides of your pan as well. NOW IS A PERFECT TIME TO BOIL YOUR PASTA - Remember to salt your water |
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| Most fresh tortellini's instructions will say 4 minutes. I used to abide by the "when it floats it's done" and it was always too al dente. Mine floated immediately after plunging them into the boiling water. They definitely need the 4 minutes. |
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The sauce will only take around 5 minutes to reach optimal silky viscosity. It will coat the back of a spoon. Add the peas, nutmeg and black pepper.
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Mix peas and seasoning to incorporate Now for all of that cheese. Turn off the burner and add the cheese. Mix immediately to melt and evenly coat everything in the sauce. |
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If after you "fold" in the cheese, it seems a little thicker than you like, ladle 1/4 cup of boiling pasta water and mix to loosen up the sauce. Repeat if necessary. Now you have a decision to make. You can mix the tortellini into the sauce (my preferred method) or pour sauce over the pasta. There's no wrong way, it comes down to your desired pasta to sauce ratio. Either way, drain your pasta well. |
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| This is certainly not a low calorie meal but it is definitely a guilty pleasure. Dish up a big bowl and enjoy! |
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Until Next TimeLove,
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