A Rich Pasta Dish

You may like!

Tortellini With Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

I made this pasta dish, while Dion and Daniel built the Fine Lego Restaurant, I'm sure this dish is on the menu. Hope you enjoy!

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise. (About 3 cups)
   fronds chopped.
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, coarsely crumbled
1 8-oz package of sliced fresh crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, pressed. (I finely chopped them)
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 16-oz package dried tortellini with pesto filling or fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling
1 5-oz package fresh baby spinach leaves.
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; saute until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 2 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid  is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; return to same pot.

Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing additional cheese.

We love this dish! It is very rich, should be served with a simple green salad.

Saturday in January

 Breakfast!

 A time to tear down.

 Out go the railroad ties.

 Out comes the grass.

 Time to level the  ground

 Preparing for concrete

Stay tuned.......

For BREAKFAST...

 Oven Baked Pancake with raspberry and strawberries!

This one happens to be gluten-free!

 It was so good...it got ate before I got the camera out!

Very custardy..full of eggs

with a gentle sweetness of fruit and syrup. 

(I used agave syrup, however pure maple syrup is great too)



Oven Baked Pancake

4 large eggs

About 5 1/2 Tablespoons honey, divided. (Agave or Maple syrup may be substituted)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour (or Pamela's gluten-free pancake mix)

2 1/2 cup milk (or coconut milk)

2 cups raspberries, divided

1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks. (or coconut oil)

1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced

   (or you may use another favorite fruit. Sauted apple slices with cinnamon is good too)

Set an oven proof 12-inch frying pan. (I use my cast iron pan) or a 9 by 13-inch metal pan in oven, then preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk eggs, 1/4 cup honey (Agave syrup), and the zest in a medium bowl to blend. Add salt, flour, and 1/4 cup milk. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in remaining milk.

Puree 1 cup raspberries in a food processor until smooth strain; (discard seeds or not.)
Remove pan from the oven ; add butter and swirl until melted and golden. Pour in batter. Pour raspberry puree over batter in wide ribbons. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake pancake until deep golden. 30 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to firm up. (Pancake will fall)

Combine strawberries and remaining 1 cup raspberries and 1 1/2 Tablespoon honey, (Agave Syrup)
in a bowl; let stand at least 10 minutes. Add honey (Agave syrup) to taste. Spoon half the fruit over pancake and serve the rest on the side. Cut pancake into wedges.  ENJOY!