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Spinach Artichoke Tortellini

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Vegetarian
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Toddler Plate

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Why we love it:

Tortellini feels like an effortless way to make a simple pasta dish extra fancy. It doesn’t take any extra effort - but it feels special. Tossed in a sauce made from the beloved duo of spinach and artichoke, this tortellini is dressed to impress.
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Ingredients

  • 1 package Frozen Chopped Spinach (about 7-8 ounces, or 1 ½ cups if you have a bulk bag)
  • 1 Shallot
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
  • 1⁄4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 4 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly ground)
  • 1 pound Tortellini (cheese, fresh or frozen)
  • 1 15-ounce can Artichoke Hearts (quartered)
  • 1⁄2 Lemon (zest and juice)
  • 1⁄2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated, divided)
  • Bread (for serving)
  • Spring Mix Salad Greens (salad for serving)
  • Hot Sauce (optional, to taste)
  • Red Pepper Flakes (optional, to taste)

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. BRING A LARGE POT OF WATER TO A BOIL

    Add salt for cooking pasta.

  • 2. DEFROST SPINACH

    You can get this started overnight, but if you don’t have time, just run the spinach under cool water and break it up into pieces as it thaws. When you can, squeeze out some excess water.

  • 3. SAUTÉ

    Slice the shallot into thin rings. Mince the garlic. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a pot with tall sides and add the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant.

  • 4. DAIRY

    Add the cream, cream cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the spinach; if it’s still a little frozen and clumped, that’s ok. Keep stirring and break it up as you go.

  • 5. PASTA

    Cook the tortellini about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking water and drain when it’s done.

  • 6. FINISH SAUCE

    Drain the artichokes and coarsely chop them if you prefer smaller pieces, or leave them as is; add. Zest in the lemon and add about ½ of the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

    When the spinach is fully defrosted and incorporated, add in the cooked tortellini. Gently toss to coat. If needed, to thin the sauce add some of the pasta cooking water or more cream. If not needed, toss out the cooking water.

    If desired, add a squeeze of lemon juice and/or some hot sauce or red pepper flakes to taste.

  • 7. SERVING

    Spoon into bowls and garnish with the remaining parmesan. Serve with bread or a green salad.

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Substitutions

  • DAIRY FREE:
    instead of using cream and cheese, sauce the garlic and shallot in olive oil and finish the sauce with the pasta cooking water. It’s more like Aglio y Olio that way and very good. Use tortellini or other pasta that isn’t stuffed with cheese
  • TORTELLINI:
    use any pasta of your choice
  • ARTICHOKES:
    a can of artichoke quarters is perfect but if you find halves you can slice them. Jarred or marinated artichokes are ok too if you’re ok with the additional flavor
  • MUST HAVE MEAT:
    sauté some Italian sausage with the shallot and proceed as written

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate
Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

  • Serve their tortellini with butter or marinara
  • Remove some of the spinach from the pot after it’s been warmed through - if needed to separate it from the dairy, sauce or microwave the spinach in a separate pan/bowl
  • Taste either an uncooked plain artichoke or one that is plucked from the cheese sauce
  • Serve with a piece of toast with cream cheese

For Toddlers

  • Serve tortellini without all of the dairy
  • Offer spinach on its own or microwave a veggie that is easier to eat (leafy greens can be a challenging consistency for young eaters)
  • Fill plate with toast and fruit or raw veggies

For Choosy Eaters

  • Boil plain pasta, try some spinach or offer a different easy green vegetable
  • Fill plate with fruit and toast, possibly with cream cheese

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

  1. Defrost spinach overnight or longer
  2. Leftovers are good but the sauce may break a little bit, to help avoid this, heat it in a sauté pan low and slow, rather than microwaving it. If you heat it too quickly or just don’t care and use the microwave, it will be a little oily but still tastes good and is safe to eat
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