Tonight the hubby had to work late. Thankfully, that isn't a normal occurrence for our family and this one comes on the end of a week off. Typically when hubby is out, I don't bother making a big dinner. Despite the fact that only one person is gone and 5 of us remain, dinners when he's gone usually are of the chicken nugget variety.
So tonight I pulled out good old Costco tortellini. I love that stuff. Comes in a handy two pack and freezes really well. I also pulled out a jar of marinara sauce I had in the fridge (also from Costco, just saying). That jar ended up going back into the fridge, unused.
You see, Mommy here wanted some "grown up goodies" on my pasta so I pulled out goat cheese and kale and then found some good mushrooms and red peppers in the fridge. So my kids are a little strange and as soon as I pulled out the kale all swarmed around eating it. And I'm the weird mom saying "quit eating all my kale!" Haha.
I totally planned on making one batch for me with all the veggie goodies and a simple version for the kids, but as it cooked they all gathered around commenting on how good it smelled (even my slightly more picky 9 year old son).
To be fair, I added bacon and these kiddos can't say no to bacon.
I decided to skip the marinara and give the kids the good stuff. And they scarfed it up and all actually completed me on it (nothing like hearing, "Mommy, this is so yummy! Thank you!" to make you feel good about yourself). Then when Hubby got home late, he went to the fridge and swooned over his reheated leftovers. It's one of those moments you just want to soak in and remember. Everyone loved dinner! Yay!!
So here is the recipe! Did I mention this came together in less than 30 minutes? I can't guarantee that your kids will be excited about goat cheese and kale, but you never know. There is bacon....
Goat Cheese and Kale Tortellini
Ingredients
1 package cheese tortellini
5 slices bacon, chopped up
1 cup kale, torn into pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup starchy water from cooking the pasta
Basil, cut in strips
Salt and pepper to taste
*Red pepper flakes if you like it spicy
1 package cheese tortellini
5 slices bacon, chopped up
1 cup kale, torn into pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup starchy water from cooking the pasta
Basil, cut in strips
Salt and pepper to taste
*Red pepper flakes if you like it spicy
Cook pasta according to package directions. Retain 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta.
In a large skillet, saute bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon bits to a paper towel to drain but leave the grease in the pan.
Add in the mushrooms, kale, garlic, and red pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sautee for a couple of minutes until soft. Add in goat cheese and water and stir until all melted together on med-low heat.
Toss in the tortellini. Garnish with bacon and basil. Eat up and enjoy!
