Tortellini, Shrimp, and Vegetables With Spinach-basil Sauce

Toby Jermain's Note:

This is another one of my 'mystery' recipes. I have no idea where I found it, but it sure tastes good.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb tortellini or 1 lb cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, thoroughly washed,stemmed,and very coarsely chopped
• 1 lb thin fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
• 1 cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaf
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 3 -4 scallions, sliced lengthwise and chopped (green onions)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 medium portabella mushrooms, wiped clean,stemmed,and cut into 1/4 inch wide slices or 1/2 lb cremini mushroom, cleaned and quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 x 1 inch slices
• 4 -5 roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for passing if esired
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Do all of your ingredient preparation and set out everything before you ever turn on the stove for final preparation.
2. This recipe is really just an Italian stir-fry.
3. Just about everything can be done up to a day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to cook.
4. Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting to cook.
5. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
6. Drain, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and spread on paper towels to cool.
7. 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.
8. Steam asparagus for about 2-3 minutes, rinse under cold water, and drain.
9. Combine parsley, basil, oregano, and scallions, and set aside.
10. Combine wine and sherry, add bouillon granules, and stir to dissolve.
11. Stir in cornstarch, and set aside.
12. Heat olive oil and butter in a wok or very large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
13. Add chopped onion, and cook for 1 minute.
14. Add minced garlic, and continue cooking until garlic is fragrant and onions are slightly translucent.
15. Increase heat to high, add shrimp, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
16. Add both types of mushrooms and freshly ground black pepper, and continue cooking until the mushroom start to give up their juice.
17. Add red bell pepper and tomatoes, and saute for 1 minute.
18. Reduce heat to medium-high, and add parsley-basil mixture, combining thoroughly.
19. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and tossing constantly.
20. Add spinach, and stir to combine.
21. Add cream and Parmesan cheese, and stir to combine.
22. Add tortellini and asparagus, and toss gently.
23. Stir wine-cornstarch mixture, and pour over all.
24. Add Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, and stir gently to combine.
25. Cook until thickened and thoroughly heated through, about 2-3 more minutes, stirring gently to coat everything with the sauce.
26. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and more freshly ground black pepper.
27. Pass more freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the side if desired.
28. Serve with a crisp vinaigrette salad and hot garlic bread.

Reviews

[adopt a greyhound]

I made fresh ravioli to use in this recipe using Cheese Filling for Ravioli and Perfect Homemade Pasta or Spaghetti for Kitchenaid Mixers. I liked the sauce but was way too thick for us. I only made half a recipe but didn't have tomato or portabella mushrooms otherwise made as written. We did use 1 lb. shrimp for the two of us.

[brownshawver]

I really enjoyed this! I love how many veggies are in it! I did substitute half and half and used feta. Next time I think I'll reduce the amount of half & half a little. Just a little too rich for me.

[TexasGal #2]

Excellent shrimp dish with a rich, creamy mushroom sauce. Note that the shrimp is missing from the ingredient list, so I used 1 lb. of clean, deveined large shrimp. To shorten preparation time, I simply added the spinach and asparagus at the appropriate time, and it turned out beautifully. Although this is a long list of ingredients and takes some time to prepare, the results are certainly worth the effort on a night when you have a bit of extra time. My substitutions with items on hand: fat free half & half; goat cheese for feta; fresh sage (instead of oregano).