Recipe: Cheese Tortellini, Favas and Vegetables

CHEESE TORTELLINI, FAVAS, VEGETABLES, LIGHT SAUCE
recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-07-14
From: calliope,.NY

this is my version...and my husband LOVES it!...hope you do too!

3 large garlic cloves, chopped
red pepper flakes, to taste
2- large yellow onions, chopped
1- red bell pepper, chopped
fava (broad beans).. bottled in glass...peel them! It takes a lot of time, but well worth it as the skins are tough and chewy, even though they have been processed! Alternatively, you could use Lima beans...BUT, they are NOT the same at all!
Spinach, Swiss chard or escarole...equaling about 2-cups, when cooked for 8-10 minutes
(the escarole that is, just wilt the spinach or use frozen) and then well drained.
1-cup white wine
2-cups chicken stock, with bay, thyme, basil, oregano and summer savory and 2 dashes of cloves
you might also want some sage and/or rosemary
2-Tbsp. McCormick's BACON bits...or you could add 1-cup cubed turkey ham to this if you want it more hearty.
1-2 half pints of cream, depending on taste and calories!...I use one.
juice of 1 large lemon
chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste, of course
...you may also wish to add some mustard to the sauce...I do.
*you may wish to add a can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered...I do...

1-bag cheese tortellini ( *personal note...get Rosetto's brand at Herrema's)
Simmer till just done, drain and toss with a bit of olive oil.

Peel the favas. Set aside to toss in at the end.

Prepare the chard or escarole. Drain well. Or you can use frozen chopped spinach that you have thawed.

Sautee the onions, red pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic till tender-crisp, add the prepared greens or thawed frozen spinach, cook briefly, then add the artichokes and mix with the boiled tortellini.

Simmer the chicken stock with herbs and spice with a lid on for about 10 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice and simmer uncovered another few minutes. Add the cream and simmer till slightly thickened.

Add this sauce to the dish and gently toss along with some bacon bits (or the turkey ham...or even Italian sausage, regular or turkey, cooked fairly crisp, would also be nice with this)

Serve with a salad of ribbon-peeled carrots, angle sliced celery and seeded, salted and drained cucumber chunks and sliced scallions or paper thin slices of red or Vidalia onion in a mustardy vinigarette...with some black olives, if you like.

I like to finish this meal with a mixture of cantaloupe and blueberries...add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like...we sure do!