Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (gluten free)

 

I have made this creamy chicken noodle soup several times now, and it has been a big hit in my house.  You can totally make this with all-purpose flour and regular noodles if you do not need gluten free.  My daughter is a vegetarian, so I make a smaller version for her as well, and she loves it!  

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (leave out for vegetarian)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow or sweet onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp)

1/3 cup gluten free flour

10 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian)

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp each of dried parsley, basil, salt

1 tsp each of dried thyme, oregano, pepper

16oz gluten free pasta (my favorite is Tinkyada brand) (may want to add an additional 4-8oz of pasta if doing vegetarian, depending on how thick you want your soup)

3 cups half and half

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Cook onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil on medium heat until vegetables soften.  Add chicken and cook about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and flour and stir.  Add 9 cups of broth.  Whisk cornstarch with remaining 1 cup broth, and add to soup.  Add all the spices and bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook according to time on the package.  Add half and half, cream, and parmesan (may need to whisk to get out any lumps of cheese.  Remove from heat and enjoy!

Protein Noodle Lasagna (Keto)

So I know this isn't the prettiest picture, but it's so delicious!  I have brought it to church potluck's and received many compliments.  It's Maria Emmerich's Protein Noodle Lasagna.  I made a few changes but just personal preferences.

Ingredients
1 lb ground sausage
3/4-1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
24oz jar low sugar marinara
16oz full fat cottage cheese (or Ricotta)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
16oz thinly sliced deli chicken breast lunch meat (I like to get nitrate-free)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cook sausage, ground meat, onion, and garlic until browned.  Drain and stir in marinara sauce.  In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, and salt.  Spread meat sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.  Arrange chicken slices over sauce.  Spread with cottage cheese mixture and top with mozzarella and Parmesan.  Repeat layers until everything is used up.  Cover with foil.  Bake 25 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Zucchini (or eggplant) Lasagna (Keto)

I made eggplant and zucchini lasagna to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.  I loved them both.  Most preferred the zucchini, but I think it was because some people just don't prefer eggplant.  I did take a lot of time to grill the vegetables, but I am wondering how they would turn out if you just put salt on them and let them "sweat."  I chose to make these vegetarian because I have family members who are vegetarian, but you could always add meat if you wanted.  I didn't miss the meat at all.

Ingredients
Sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
32oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
5oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Lasagna
4-5 zucchini thinly sliced long ways (or 2 medium eggplants)
salt
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions
Lightly salt and grill your zucchini or eggplant.  Next time I want to try just salting them and let them sit 10-20 minutes and then blot all the excess moisture off.  Or even try baking them 10 minutes.

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook 5-10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Mix cottage cheese, eggs, and Parmesan in a small bowl.  Layer sauce, zucchini, cottage cheese, sauce, mozzarella, more zucchini, cottage cheese, sauce, mozzarella, and repeat until all ingredients are used.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.  Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Tortellini Giovanni

My favorite dish at Giovanni's is their Tortellini Giovanni. It is absolutely delicious! I was throwing something together for dinner one night and came up with this, and I went, "Wow! This tastes a lot like Tortellini Giovanni!" So yummy and super easy!!! I do think it had more cheese than it needed, so next time I will use 4oz instead of 8oz, but I love cheese, so I didn't mind. :-)

Ingredients
3 (19oz) bags of frozen cheese tortellini
1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu, large or regular size, preferable not one with tomato chunks in it)
1 small jar pesto (I used basil pesto by Classico)
4-8oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Boil tortellini in a very large pot according to package directions (I usually boil them 9-10 minutes or until they all float). Drain pasta and set aside. Add spaghetti sauce, pesto, and mozzarella cheese. Stir over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add tortellini back into pot with sauce and stir well. Yum!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

This soup is so yummy!  I love tortellini anyway, and I had a craving for chicken noodle soup one night, so I made up this recipe using egg noodles but then the next time I used tortellini, and my family loved it.  It is also surprisingly low in calories and high in protein.  I have been making it once a week for about 3 weeks now and we aren't tired of it yet.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped

4 Tbsp butter

8 cups chicken broth

24oz raw chicken breasts, chopped

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

19oz bag frozen cheese tortellini

2 cups milk

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup cornstarch

Directions

Melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth, chicken, pepper, salt, basil, oregano, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for about 15 minutes.  Whisk together the milk, cream, and cornstarch in a bowl.  Add frozen tortellini and milk mixture to soup and stir.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium and cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!

Nutrition: 1 cup = 170 calories, 6.1g fat, 15.2g carbs, .5g fiber, 13.2g protein

Variation:  Instead of tortellini, use 4 cups of medium size egg noodles instead.  Creamy chicken noodle soup.  Yummy!

If you want this gluten/wheat free, use 4 cups brown rice noodles.

Egg and Cheese Pizza Crust

 Pizza crust made from egg and cheese.  If you like a lot of cheese on your pizza, you will love this.  The pizza comes out very thin and tasty.  I added a low carb spaghetti sauce, more mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and spices to mine.  It reheats well for leftovers.  Great for low carb, keto, or gluten free diets.

 Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
optional spices: garlic powder, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning
whatever toppings you want

Directions
Combine egg, cheese, and spices together in a bowl.  Spread out flat in a greased pie plate.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Add any sauce and toppings you want to your taste.  Bake for another 10 minutes.  It is best if you let cool 10 minutes or so before cutting.

Goulash

My family loves this goulash.  I made it quite often and it's super easy and inexpensive to make.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
2 cans corn, drained
30-32oz tomato sauce
32oz diced tomatoes
3 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
1/2 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cups water
16oz rotini, penne, or medium size pasta (use brown rice noodles for gluten free)
Directions
Brown ground meat, drain, return to pan.  Add everything else except the pasta.  Bring to a boil, add pasta, and cook on low-medium until pasta is fully cooked (about 20 min). Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

OR crockpot version:
Brown ground meat, drain, and add to crockpot.  Add everything else except the pasta. Turn on high 4-6 hours or low 8 hours.  Stir in pasta, turn crockpot on high, and cook last 20-30 minutes until pasta is tender.

Easy Cheesy Tortellini

Made this last night and it was delicious and a big hit in our house.  Tortellini is one my favorite pastas.  Cheese filled little pastas, 2 of my favorite foods combined.  :-)  I made this similar to my two timin pasta since that is such a big hit in my house.  I found the original recipe, which I modifed, on allrecipes.com.  I will definitely be making this again.  It's so easy.  I did lighten it up since I'm on a diet by using 1/2 the amount of mozzarella it called for and light alfredo.

Ingredients
2 - 19oz frozen packages of tortellini
24oz Spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu traditional)
1 jar light afredo sauce (I used Classico), watch for egg-free if needed
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
4oz Mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil your tortellini until they all float to the top (which I found is a lot longer than the package says), drain and return to pot.  Add all ingredients together to the tortellini and mix well.  Pour into sprayed 9x13 dish and bake 20-30 minutes.

Weight Watcher Points: depending on your sauce, 1/12 of the pan is 6 points.

Two Timin Pasta

So I found the original recipe for this on Pinterest and apparently it's all over the internet.  I made it a few times now the way online said, putting the Parmesan cheese on top and not finding that as appealing.  Then I decided I wanted more flavor in it, so I added onion and garlic.  This has become one of my husband's favorites, which is funny to me since he has always told me he doesn't like alfredo.  This is so easy to thow together and yummy.

Ingredients
1 tsp onion powder (or 2 Tbsp dried minced onion)
2 tsp minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 lb pasta (penne or spirals or whatever you have on hand) (use brown rice pasta for GF)
26oz jar spaghetti sauce
15oz jar alfredo sauce (watch for eggs if allergic)
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water.  Once pasta is done, drain and add back to pot.  Add all ingredients to pasta and stir well.  Add to 9x13 sprayed dish.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I got the original recipe off skinnytaste, but I did modify it some.  I think it's an obsession.  I can't leave a recipe alone.  Maybe I feel I have to make it my own.  Either way, I had this on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, and it was yummy.  Put it all in the crockpot before church and it was done when we got home.  I love crockpot meals on Sunday.  I had my in laws over, and we all enjoyed it.  I did use chicken breasts instead of thighs since I don't like dark meat.  She suggests skin removed and bone in, but I didn't feel like going through the whole removing skin, and I couldn't find any breasts with bone in, skin removed.

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
26oz jar traditional spaghetti sauce, watch for allergens
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese to put on top, optional

Directions
Dump everything into the crockpot, give a quick stir, and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Remove lid for last hour and keep on high.  Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta or rice and top with parmesan cheese if desired.  She includes another method that requires browning the chicken beforehand, so go to the link above if you want to see that.

Gluten Free Spinach Lasagna

I made this for my family recently and they all absolutely loved it!  I was so excited to make a lasagna recipe that was delicious and I could eat!  My 5 year old said it was his absolute favorite lasagna.  My 8 year old said it was his 2nd favorite (his favorite is Stouffer's).  :-)  My almost 2 year old ate almost 2 whole pieces.  My husband said he really liked it a lot, but maybe I should try it with meat next time.  ;-)  The only other thing I might change next time is that I cooked the pasta according to the package directions but took off 2 minutes when I probably should have took off 5 minutes because they came out a little too soft.  I got the idea for this lasagna from my pasta lasagna recipe.  If you want to add meat, brown 1/2 lb of ground meat with your onion.

Ingredients

1/2 large onion, finely diced

10 oz fresh spinach, chopped

12 Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles (I used 10oz Tinkyada brand)

26oz jar Spaghetti sauce (watch for allergens, I used Ragu traditional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

1/2 tsp basil

2 cups cottage cheese, I used 2%

1/4 Parmesan cheese

1 egg (leave out for egg free)

8oz  part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sautee onion until soft.  Add spaghetti sauce, spinach, garlic powder, oregano, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and basil.  Simmer on low while you prepare everything else.  Boil you pasta according to package directions in salted water, minus 5 minutes, drain, and put into cold water.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and half the mozzarella cheese.  In a sprayed 9x13 pan, layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/4 of the sauce, and 1/4 of the cottage cheese mixture.  Repeat layers 3 more times.  Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.



Hot Spinach Dip

I made this for a birthday party.  I wasn't sure if they would have something gluten free for me to eat, so I brought this with some corn tortilla chips, but you could serve it with veggies or some sort of crackers of bread if you don't need gluten free.  This reheats well too. 

Ingredients
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
10oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed out
1 cup sour cream, use light if you like
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp minced garlic
8oz cream cheese, softened

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients well and spread into sprayed 9x13 dish.  Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Biscuits

These are delicious!  Everyone in my family really enjoyed them, and they were so easy.  I got the original recipe, Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits from skinnytaste.com and then I used ingredients I had on hand.  I really want to try these again with reduced fat cheddar, thinking they might be like a light version of Red Lobster's.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter (or smart balance)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried parsley (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 cup minus 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup fat free or 1% milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together remaining garlic, parsley, Bisquick, garlic powder, and cheese.  With a fork, cut in butter until well blended.  Stir in milk.  Do not overmix.  Drop batter onto cookie sheet or roll and flatten into biscuit shapes to make 14 biscuits.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Weight Watcher Points: 2 points per biscuit

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I have made this twice now for my family.  The first time I followed the directions almost exactly.  The second time I modified it a little, and I thought it was even better.  My girls in particular gobbled this up.  :-)

Ingredients
13-15oz box multigrain penne pasta (or whatever pasta you want really)
1 T olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 a large, diced
10oz fresh spinach
1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (omit for vegetarian)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
8oz container chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Cook pasta according to directions.  Put your spinach in the food processor and pulse until no more big pieces are left.  I also did this to my tomatoes since they were large pieces.  In a small skillet, sautee your onion in the oil until soft.  In a large bowl, combine pasta, onion, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, cream cheese, and salt and pepper.  Spoon into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with mozzarella.  Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes and then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

This is a great prepare ahead of time meal you can put in the fridge and pop in the oven before serving.  Add 10-15 minutes on to the covered bake time if you bake it directly out of the fridge.

Summer Garden Pasta

I found this Barefoot Contessa recipe originally on Pinterest, and I am so glad I tried it.  I've already made it twice, once with Cilantro Thai Chicken, which will be my next recipe post, and then once with Chicken Piccata and both times got rant and raves from everyone.  It really is delicious!  I am making it again this weekend as a side dish for a get together with friends.  The recipe calls for 4 pints of cherry tomatoes, but they are so expensive, I just bought regular tomatoes and chopped them up.  You can serve this as a side dish, a main dish, or add some shrimp or chicken to it for a main dish with meat.

Ingredients
4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved OR 4-6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 Tbsp minced garlic (6 cloves)
18 large basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you really don't like spicy, you can omit this)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb angel hair pasta (use whole grain for heart healthy)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 4 hours at room temperature.  Just before you get ready to serve, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente.  Drain the pasta well and add to the tomato mixture.  Add the cheese and serve.

Low fat baked Ziti with Spinach

I got this off of the Skinny Taste blog.  It is absolutely delicious!  I served it on a Sunday afternoon to my family and my in laws, and we loved it.  I will definitely be making it again.

Ingredients
1 lb high fiber ziti, penne, or bow tie (I used Barilla whole grain penne and bow tie) (for Gluten Free - use brown rice pasta and cook 5 minutes less than directions say)
28oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
10oz fresh spinach, chopped (she used frozen, I prefer fresh)
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or I used 2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
8oz low fat cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan.  In a large pot of salted water, cook your pasta until al dente, drain, and return to pot.  Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, add olive oil and saute garlic and spinach.  Add salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil.  Add sauce to the pasta and combine.  Add half the mozzarella, cottage cheese, and parmesan.  Mix well and add to 9x13.  Spread pasta evenly and then top with other half of mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.  This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time and refrigerate.  Either let come to room temp for 30 minutes before baking or just bake for additional 10-15 minutes.

WW points: 1/8th of the casserole = 6 points or 9 points+ or 332 calories

Chicken Piccata

So one of my close friends just had a baby and her favorite dish is Chicken Piccata. I researched online and found a recipe on allrecipes and then read some of the reviews and modified it some. I made a second batch for my family and I honestly wasn't sure if my family would like it or not, and we all loved it! My friend also said it was amazing and wanted the recipe. I doubled the recipe for my family, but you could easily do 1 lb of chicken for a small family.

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
2 eggs
3 tbsp lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup butter/margarine (or dairy-free spread if needed)
6 tsp chicken boullion powder or granules
2 cups water
3 tbsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp capers
1 tsp sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour, garlic powder and paprika. Pound your chicken thin and cut into desired amount of pieces. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the seasoned flour. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and brown the coated chicken pieces.
Remove and put into a sprayed 9x13 pan and put into the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Using a 4 cup pyrex glass or a small bowl, combine water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, capers, sugar, and cornstarch and whisk all together well. Add this into your pan with leftover drippings.  Heat to a low boil while whisking constantly and then reduce to a simmer. Once liquid thickens (about 5 minutes or so), remove chicken pan from oven, pour sauce all over chicken and return to the oven for the remaining 30 minutes.

Tip: For pounding chicken. I put a few pieces of chicken in a gallon freezer ziplock bag and seal it.  Using a rolling pin, I hit the chicken until is it flattened to my desired thickness.

Pasta Lasagna

So I made this for lunch today and it was very yummy! I found the original recipe online, but I changed it up with adding some spices and using some healthier ingredients, and I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta because I really love cottage cheese in my lasagna. I doubled the recipe not realizing it was plenty for my family without doubling it, so now I have a casserole in the freezer for later, so it worked out great! I am giving you half the recipe I made though, so it should only make one casserole and not two.

Ingredients
-1/2 large onion, finely diced
-1/2 lb lean ground turkey (use beef if you prefer or leave out for vegetarian)
-1/2 lb bow tie or penne or whatever you like pasta (I use barilla plus bow tie which was only half a 14.5oz box)
-1/2 45oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used Walmart traditional)
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
-1/2 tsp basil
-2 cups cottage cheese, 2% or lower fat content
-1/4 cup parmesan cheese
-1 egg (leave out for egg-free)
-8oz mozzarella, shredded (I used parm skim)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown your ground turkey, diced onion, and garlic. Add spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, oregano, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and basil. Simmer on low, uncovered while you prepare everything else. Boil your pasta according to package directions in salted water, drain, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine egg, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and half the mozzarella cheese. In a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish, layer half the pasta, half the sauce, and half the cheese mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Let cool some before serving.

WW points: 1/12 of the lasagna is approximately 4 points.

Spinach Tortellini en Brodo (in broth)

I got this recipe off of http://www.skinnytaste.com/ where she has some really great recipes she's already figured out the calories and fat and Weight Watchers points. I LOVE tortellini. If you've never tried it, you should! It's little cheese filled pastas that are oh so yummy! I love them way more than ravioli. You can get it in the refrigerated section or in the dry pasta section, but I get them in the freezer section for much cheaper. I loved this soup! I was out of nutmeg, so I used cinnamon again, but I definitely would recommend the nutmeg next time. I did reheat for lunch and I enjoyed it just as much. "Meatless Monday" is becoming more popular, and I happen to make this on Monday, unintentionally, but this a great, filling, meatless meal. If you are a complete vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken. This is like a very elegant chicken noodle soup (without the chicken). Great for cold days or not feeling well or anytime! :-)

Ingredients
-2 tsp butter (I used smart balance light, walmart version)
-2 stalks celery, chopped
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 large carrot, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-8 cups chicken broth (or I use boullion granules)
-3 cups water
-26oz cheese tortellini (she only used 18oz, but I love it!)
-1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
-2 Tbsp grated Parmesan


Directions
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add your chopped celery, onion, carrot, and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender. Add the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and tortellini. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tortellini is cooked al dente. Turn off the heat and add spinach and parmesan. Stir until spinach wilts and serve.

If you don't like spinach, add 2 Tbsp fresh Italian Parsley instead.

I figured 4 Weight Watcher points for 1 1/2 cups but it depends on your tortellini brand and how much you use.

Baked Tortellini

I love tortellini. If you've never had it, it's yummy shaped pasta filled with cheese, similar to ravioli. This is super easy! You could even leave out the pesto if you wanted to make it even easier and less expensive. I love garlic and I love the extra flavor of the pesto in it. If you like this, try Beefy Baked Ravioli or one of my favorite tortellini dishes, Spinach Tomato Tortellini. I did mix some of my mozzarella cheese into the dish, but I think next time I would just put it all on top.

Ingredients
-2 - 13oz packages of frozen cheese tortellini
-26oz jar or can of your favorite spaghetti sauce
-2 - 4 Tbsp pesto (depends on how much you like pesto and garlic)
-8oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
-2 Tbsp Parmesan cheeseDirections
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together spaghetti sauce and pesto, mix in frozen tortellini. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese and then Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.