Dinner tonight... Tortellini with Artichoke, Asparagus and Chicken Sausage

If I had to choose a favorite food, tortellini would definitely be in the running. While in college, I worked at a place called Pastabilities (the name alone makes Mr. Fritz laugh and laugh... but it was one of my favorite jobs ever) and, during that time, became slightly obsessed with fresh pasta and filled pastas in particular. Before we got married, I cooked pretty rarely for myself, and those times when I did head into the kitchen, I often walked out with a steaming bowl of tortellini or tortelloni in hand. These days, I turn to this old standby much less frequently, and when I do indulge in it, I try to make it a little more healthy and well-rounded. Which leads me to tonight's offering: Tortellini with Artichoke, Asparagus, and Chicken Sausage.


I cooked the tortellini according to the directions, adding a couple of cups of chopped asparagus to the boiling water about three minutes before it was time to drain the pasta. I added it to a bowl in which I'd already mixed one can of drained, quartered artichoke hearts, one can of drained and rinsed chick peas, a handful of shredded parmesan cheese. In a separate skillet, I sauteed 12 ounces of chicken sausage with roasted garlic in a a little olive oil, then added that to the pasta and vegetable mix. After adding salt and pepper and a little more olive oil and parm, dinner was served.