Now that I’m smack dab in the middle of my 30’s I’ve been having to stay away from my beloved pasta. I’ve basically removed it completely from our meals for the past two years, simply because looking at a carb makes my pants stop fitting. That being said, this year is all about balance for me, and my love for pasta has not waned or easily been replaced by zoodles. Because of this I’ve decided to start working on some recipes that has pasta as just a piece of the dish, not the main ingredient. Everything in moderation right?
This was my first attempt and boy did it make momma happy! I got some tasty pasta along with a heaping serving of tasty veggies so there was no need to feel guilty and I wasn’t afraid to try on my pants after. All you have to do is chop up loads of your favorite veggies and roast them (this is a great option for partial meal prep or leftovers), then cook up some tortellini and toss it all together with some pesto and parmesan! Add some protein or don’t. It’s up to you, but I think this would go great with some chicken sausage, chicken or even steak!
Ingredients
2 medium yellow squash
2 medium zucchini
1 large red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
8 oz sliced white mushrooms
10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
1 small bag of baby spinach
20 oz refrigerated three cheese tortellini
1 tsp minced garlic
2 T olive oil
2/3 C pesto
1/2 C parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Cut squash into half moons and chop onion and bell peppers.
- Place all veggies except for spinach on large baking sheet and coat with olive oil, then stir in garlic.
- Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender, then add spinach and place back in the oven until the spinach wilts, around 1-2 minutes.
- While vegetables roast, cook your tortellini according to the instructions
- Remove veggies from the oven and toss to mix in the spinach.
- Drain your tortellini, then add in roasted veggies and pesto.
- Top with parmesan cheese and serve!
*I love the Costco 3 cheese tortellini- the quality and price are on point. Costco also has a great Kirkland branded pesto that I like better than most store bought. For my recipe I’m using homemade pesto that I froze in small portions after harvesting my basil at the end of summer- always the best choice of them all!
Living the High Life 