Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce

We really like to keep dried tortellini on hand; shelf stable and delicious.  This recipe is a very nice side dish with fish, as we enjoyed it, or with pork chops, steaks, meatloaf or chicken.  It’s so much better than making an Alfredo dish with the thick, chemical-filled purchased sauces, and, I think, actually easier to prepare.    The cream is necessary to thicken the sauce properly.    I use either Barilla dried tortellini or Priano dried tortellini I have purchased at Aldi’s; both are excellent.  They are usually found with the other dried pastas.
Make this dish your own; add your own additions depending on what you want to use up, or make it a main dish with the addition of a little cooked meat or poultry.              

                       Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce

  12        ounces  dried Tortellini

  3          tablespoons  onion peeled and diced

  6          teaspoons  extra virgin olive oil

  1          cup  Peas -- fresh or frozen

  1 1/2   cups  heavy cream

     1/2   cup  black olives -- halved

  6          tablespoons  Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded

     1/2   tablespoon  fresh parsley chopped

              salt and black pepper to taste

BRING a large pot of water to boil, add salt

COOK tortellini according to the package directions.

SAUTE onion with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until translucent, about 4 minutes

SEASON with salt and pepper.

REMOVE a couple of tablespoons of hot pasta water and reserve for sauce.

DRAIN tortellini over the peas in a colander and toss with cream and onion in the cooking kettle, adding reserved pasta water if needed.

STIR in black olives and cheese before serving.
6 Servings