Cheese Tortellini With Walnut Pesto Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Toast walnut pieces in a small pan or toaster oven until lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool.
• Place a large pot of water on to boil. When it comes to rolling boil, salt the water and cook tortellini to package directions.
• Heat 1 cup chicken stock or broth to a boil and remove from heat.
• Using a food processor, working in batches, grind spinach leaves with nuts, chicken stock, and garlic. Transfer ground spinach nut paste to a large bowl. Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Coat hot, cooked tortellini with sauce, tossing in the bowl you prepared sauce in. Turn pasta out on to a serving platter and garnish with a few baby spinach leaves and edible flowers.

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, pulse the walnuts, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, oil, salt, and pepper to a coarse puree.
• Cook the tortellini, in a large pot of salted water*, until just done. The cooking time will depend on the brand you use (mine takes 8 minutes and you could use the fresh you find refrigerated in the grocery. I don't reccomend the dried tortellini) Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. (Don't forget this! It is easy to do).
• Drain the tortellini. Toss with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, the walnut pesto, and the butter. Mix until the butter melts.
• If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and pass more at the table.
• *The water should be as salty as a broth.