At the end of a long day, taking inventory of the fridge, breaking a cookbook open, or going out to the grocery store in order to determine a supper strategy can seem overwhelming. It’s all too tempting to just browse a stack of takeout menus or food delivery apps instead.
However cooking at home can in fact be a lot quicker and easier (not to discuss less expensive and frequently healthier) than buying in. The secret is having at least one recipe in your culinary back pocket that’s so dead-simple, it can be made on auto-pilot utilizing just a few simple components that come together with very little effort, cook time, or filthy dishes to handle afterwards.
Why This Recipe Is My Go-To
For me, that near-effortless meal is a version of tortellini en brodo– a stuffed pasta “in broth” that’s typically served in northern Italy at Christmas. Made with just 3 active ingredients– tortellini, broth, and (a minimum of in my variation) spinach or other greens– this warming dish formulate in minutes. It just needs one pot, and there’s absolutely no prep, implying you do not even require to dirty a cutting board or knife.
Why This Recipe Is Nearly Effortless
I always have the basic trio of components required to make it on hand in my freezer. On the nights I believe I’m too worn out to summon the energy to cook, I keep in mind that I’ve got everything I require to toss together this nourishing, healthy-ish meal in about 10 minutes. Considering that it’s merely heating up three ingredients and needs no slicing, measuring, or timer, it does not seem like the effort of home cooking … despite the fact that it tastes like it.
Enjoy It For Lunch Or Dinner
This no-recipe-needed dish is perfect lunch or dinner as-is, however I also like that it’s endlessly adaptable. Use whatever kind of stock, tortellini, and greens you occur to have on hand. When it’s prepared, drizzle in some olive or truffle oil, spray on some Parmesan, add some leaves of fresh parsley, basil, or dill. It’s also a terrific method to consume chances and ends in your fridge like leftover veggies that reheat rapidly in the broth.
The best part is, supper will be on the table in a fraction of the time it would take to get anything provided– and at a portion of the cost, too.
How To Make This Recipe
The Ingredients
In addition to the kitchen staples of salt and pepper, you only require three economical, easy-to-find active ingredients for this dish.
I utilize cheese-filled pasta due to the fact that I think it tastes finest with the broth and greens, however meat, vegetable, or other varieties will be tasty, too. Of course utilizing frozen pasta suggests it will take a bit longer to prepare, but the time distinction is quite negligible.
Broth: I choose the reassuring taste of chicken broth, however you can switch in veggie or beef broth. Given that this three-ingredient meal is so easy, it’s ideal to use homemade stock or high-quality broth, but I often utilize boxed broth or condensed bouillon paste or cubes rather. Whatever you’ve got in your freezer, fridge, or pantry will taste tasty.
Greens: Delicate greens like moderate spinach or peppery arugula work best given that they wilt quickly in the hot broth. Whatever option you go with, the greens add hits of color and vitamins to the meal, and make it feel more like a healthy-ish, total meal.
The Directions
Choose a pot: Pick a pot that’s right for the amount you wish to make. You can utilize simply sufficient stock to cook the pasta, or enough that it seems like a brothy soup, whichever you prefer. Either way, you want to make sure the size of your pot will allow the pasta to swim easily in the broth as they cook. Preparing for a crowd? Choose a Dutch oven or stock pot. Making just one serving? Go with a small saucepan. You desire at least a few inches of stock in the pan so the pasta will be able to move easily and prepare evenly as they simmer.
Heat the stock: Bring the stock to a boil.
Cook the tortellini: Add the tortellini to the boiling liquid, and stir for a minute to keep the pasta separated and to avoid sticking. When the tortellini drift to the top and look puffy and pillowy, they’re totally prepared. (If you’re not feeling great that you’ll understand by sight when the pasta is done, just cook them according to timing on the package instructions.).
Add the greens: As quickly as the tortellini are all set, include the greens to the pot, and stir. As quickly as the broth go back to a simmer, turn off the heat. This may be just seconds if you’re utilizing fresh greens, or about a minute if you’re utilizing frozen.
Include salt and pepper: Season to taste.
Creative Add-Ins.
Another great aspect of this recipe is how adaptable it is. Not just is it delicious with whatever kinds of broth, tortellini, and greens you want, however there are also a lot of ways to zhuzh it up with other common fridge or pantry staples.
Add more cheese, like Parmesan, pecorino-Romano, or any other tough cheese that’s excellent for grating.
Fresh or dried herbs: basil, parsley, oregano, or dill.
Red pepper flakes.
Extra veggies, like frozen peas or diced zucchini (include them to the broth together with the greens).
Lemon zest, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Truffle oil or truffle salt.
