Lately, I’ve been seeing lots of recipes that incorporate pre-made tortellini and ravioli. I usually only explore recipes that have me cooking from scratch. But why not go for a recipe that jazzes up pre-made tortellini? You don’t have to do all or nothing in the kitchen.

I absolutely love sautéing fresh broccoli crowns with oil and lemon. So this recipe was the perfect “halfway” introduction for me.

Prep time: 15 min // Cook time: 45 min // Total time: 1 hour

You’ll need:

For the broccoli:

• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the tortellini:

• 1 pound refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, drizzle broccoli with olive oil and lemon juice. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Toss and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.
3. When tortellini is cooked, drain and set aside.
4. In a large skillet or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic and crushed red pepper. Add the lemon zest and stir.
5. Add the broccoli / olive oil mixture to the pot and cook until broccoli has reached preferred degree of tenderness. Add cooked tortellini, reserved pasta water, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the tortellini and serve warm.

Source: Adapted from a recipe by Two Peas and Their Pod.