Tortellini and Chickpeas with Walnut Pesto Sauce
Perfect for autumn on winter meals, this vegetarian dish is fancy enough to serve company but quick enough to put together in a hurry on a weeknight. You may use either chickpeas or cannellini beans, canned or cooked at home. If preparing your own from dried beans, I suggest cooking them in vegetable bouillon for enhanced flavor.
1 lb dried cheese tortellini
2 15-oz cans chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained
6 oz pesto (Barilla Basil and Pinenut or homemade
2 cups walnut halves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
5 oz fresh arugula
1 dash salt and pepper (or to taste)
1. Drain the beans and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil, pesto and walnuts to a skillet. Heat to medium and sauté to lightly brown the walnuts,
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water.
4. Add the beans and red pepper flakes to the pesto/walnut mixture.
5. Add the tortellini and stir gently. If needed, add some of the reserved cooking water.
6. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
7. Arrange the arugula on serving plates, top with the tortellini/walnut/bean/pesto mixture.
8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Servings: 6
Yield: Six Main Course Servings or Eight Appetizer Portions
Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (9.7 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Main Dish, Pasta, Vegetarian
All Good Gifts 