(Family Features) Warming weather brings with it plenty of opportunities to celebrate from holidays and birthdays to sunny afternoons offering an excuse to spend time outdoors with loved ones. Dining al fresco brings added freshness to favorite foods, and taking your next meal to the patio can be a fun, delicious way to soak in some vitamin D.
Pasta provides an easy option for sharing with a crowd, like this Creamy Tomato Smoked Sausage and Asparagus Tortellini. A cheesy, filling delight, it’s ready to enjoy in less than half an hour.
Plus, locally grown Michigan Asparagus adds an extra level of freshness requiring just about three days to travel from family farms in Michigan to your kitchen. It doesn’t need a passport to make it from farm to table, and you won’t need one either to enjoy this Italian-inspired dish in the comfort of home.
The thicker spears offer texture and additional flavor that’s also more tender because the fiber is less concentrated. Just 5-8 minutes in boiling water results in firm and delicious spears. This pasta dish calls for a late addition to the already-simmering sauce and tortellini so you can count on perfectly cooked asparagus as the finishing touch.
It’s also a sustainably produced ingredient as Michigan’s asparagus season primarily relies on the weather and uses rainwater rather than irrigation. As a nutrient-dense, low-calorie vegetable with no fat, no cholesterol and little sodium, it’s a family favorite you can feel good about serving your loved ones.
Find more patio-friendly recipe ideas at michiganasparagus.org.
Creamy Tomato Smoked Sausage and Asparagus Tortellini
Recipe courtesy of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
Servings: 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced into bite-sized rounds
1 clove garlic, minced
1 2/3 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
18 ounces cheese tortellini
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
In large rimmed skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add sausage and brown on both sides. Add garlic and stir until golden, 20-30 seconds.
Add broth, tomato sauce, cream and tortellini; stir to combine. Bring to light simmer.
Cover and simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Add asparagus during last 5 minutes of cooking until tortellini is tender and sauce has reduced.
Source: Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
