Sunday was Super Bowl Day, and snacks were abundant, so my thoughts were still on food, and then I discovered that today, Monday, February 13th, is National Tortellini Day! Who knew? Tortellini pasta dishes are at the top of my Italian meal favorites! Fabulous! Wow, back-to-back special food days!
National Tortellini Day is celebrated annually on February 13th – a day to pay homage to the delectable pasta that is tortellini. Popularized by the Italian city of Bologna, this pasta originated from mysterious beginnings; as the legend goes, its shape came about when the owner of a local tavern spied on the Goddess Venus through her keyhole and was inspired by what he saw to create this navel-shaped dish. Since then, it has become abundantly popular worldwide, with different variations ranging from butter and sage to prosciutto and parmesan. National Tortellini Day serves as an opportunity to indulge in these savory pillows of pasta perfection and appreciate their yet untold stories.
National Tortellini Day foodies and home cooks come together to honor the delicious delight of tortellini, an Italian pasta dish usually filled with cheese or meat and steeped in original history and culture. National Tortellini Day allows us to enjoy something that made its way into many family kitchens, providing a way to cherish some of the best flavors. Whether you make it yourself or get it from your favorite Italian restaurant, National Tortellini Day is a unique occasion for food lovers everywhere.
I don’t have a personal recipe to share, so I went to the Betty Crocker website and found the following recipe.
Betty Crocker Recipe – Cheesy Chicken Tortellini
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheesy-chicken-tortellini/f21b38ac-0c34-4ec0-8b48-c27499a913d3
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 cups fresh small broccoli florets
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from a 32-oz carton)
- 2 packages (9 oz each) of refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup milk
- 6oz cream cheese, cubed (from 8-oz package)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Steps
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink; remove from skillet, and keep warm.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; add broccoli. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until broccoli are bright green. Add garlic to skillet; cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth and tortellini. Heat to simmering; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in milk, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, occasionally stirring until the cream cheese has melted; stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Add chicken to skillet; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until heated. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
There are many ways to celebrate National Tortellini Day. Whether enjoying an old recipe or trying something completely new, National Tortellini Day will surely bring happiness into our lives with its deliciousness.
Thank you for reading this blog post, and if you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the Comments section below.
© 2019 I Don’t Know All The Answers, Nikki Mastro
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Tortellini is so good in soups! Really makes it a meal.