It is always fun to look at an old recipe and wonder where it came from. My old recipe file created by Gene had me list each pasta recipe with pas1, pas2, and so on. This was my first pasta recipe I recorded which tells me I have had it quite awhile. If a recipe was an appetizer it was labeled app1, app2 and so on. That is how I use to find recipes – remember my old system is a lot different from what I have now.
I was curious as to the meaning of the name, obviously it is Italian. I also said to myself why the chicken bouillon cube? That certainly is an unexpected ingredient! When I made a Google Search I found a number of Olive Garden versions of this recipe. Obviously, this is where I got it and I have adapted their recipe to my taste.
Back then my local paper on every Wednesday would include a food page where the editors would provide recipes for their readers and I am pretty sure that is where I got the recipe. Questions were sent in mainly about restaurants around my hometown. I always looked forward to that edition. By the way you can go on Olive Garden’s website and they provide tons of recipes but not this one and it is not on the menu anymore.
My Farmer’s Market is now selling lots of Roma tomatoes. These were the ones I always grew to can and make different sauces. No, I never liked to freeze tomatoes, not enough room in my large upright and two refrigerator freezers. Anyways, this was my tomato patch in Manchester, along with my niece Heather. I started just about everything from seed and tried many different varieties.
Preparing fresh tomatoes for a sauce: Bring a large saucepan of water to boiling, add the clean and washed tomatoes. When you start to see the skins split remove and cool in a big pan of cold water. Trim the ends and the peel will just slip off.
Tortellini Do Forni
1 lb. cheese tortellini, cooked (this time I used ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil (I used less than 1 tbsp.)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced (or to taste – I like garlic!)
- 2 cups fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, crushed and drained
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 4 tsp. fresh basil
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream (I used half and half)
- 4 tbsp. Parmesan (I used 6+ tbsp.)
Crush the peeled tomatoes and add the basil, bouillon cube, parsley and pepper.
Saute the garlic briefly and add the tomato mixture and heat. My recipe said to heat the cream in a separate skillet – I am just going to add the cream to the hot tomato mixture, as why get one more pan dirty? Bring slowly to a boil and add the Parmesan to taste. Stir well and add the cooked tortellini (or ravioli) of your choice.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
