Cheese Tortellini With Creamy Pesto Sauce

This recipe is quick and easy. You may want to use fresh ingredients; however, I cooked with what I had in my kitchen and created this recipe myself. The ingredients include: frozen cheese tortellini, butter, mushrooms, a can of mushroom soup, a package of cream cheese, milk, bottled pesto sauce, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese. If you have wine on hand, a "splash" will do this dish justice.

• Ready In: 38 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1  lb  frozen cheese tortellini
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms (drained)
• 10 3⁄4 ounces  cream of mushroom soup
• 1⁄4 cup milk (2% is fine)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 4  tablespoons pesto sauce (bottled)
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (more if desired)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper (more if desired)
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
•  splash red wine (optional, but tasty!)

Directions

1. In 4 quarts of boiling water, add 1 lb. of frozen cheese tortellini. Once water comes to a boil (which could take 15 minutes), cook for 12 minutes.
2. While the tortelli is cooking, heat 2 Tbls. of butter in pan (large enough to add all ingredients towards the end). Saute the mushrooms in the melted butter.
3. Add the can of cream of mushroom soup and milk. Mix well.
4. Now, add the cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is creamy.
5. Add the pesto sauce until blended nicely, cooking all ingredients over a medium flame.
6. Add the tomatoes. Continue stirring, adding the salt and pepper.
7. Now, add the cooked tortellini to the creamy mixture and coat the tortellini, stirring gently - you do not wish to break up the cooked tortellini.
8. Add a splash of red wine - stir until blended. (Wine is optional, but the alcohol will burn off, and the wine flavor remains.).
9. Lastly, add the grated parmesan cheese and stir gently while the flame is still on medium.
10. Lower the flame to "simmer." If you have a lid for your pan, cover your pan; if not, that's fine, too -- let the tortellini and creamy mixture simmer on a low flame for 8 minutes. Your Cheese Tortellini with Creamy Pesto Sauce is ready to be served.
11. Dish up into separate bowls. This dish cools quickly, so serve promptly.
12. Cover leftovers and refrigerate. When re-heating, add a little milk, if desired.