Tortellini with Smoked Sausage

Red peppers and edamame. Two ingredients that make me excited about a recipe. Not only are they so good, but they are so good for you! For those of you that don't know ( I didn't until I started dating Brian) edamame are just boiled soy beans. You can find them in the frozen isle at the grocery store. Brian and I like to buy the big bags from Costco. Although this dish had big potential it fell a little short. And I'm certain the sauce was to blame. C'mon, just 1/2 cup of italian dressing? Pretty lame, and it tasted pretty lame. I will probably make this again, but I will serve it with an alfredo or a rose sauce. None of this "1/2 a cup of italian dressing" crap. So, because of the italian dressing, this dish only gets 3 stars. It could have been great, but it wasn't. But I really do like the combination of everything else. I'll be combining them again for sure.

Tortellini with Smoked Sausage

Source: Disney Family

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup diced red pepper
1 pound smoked sausage
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Directions:

Set 6 quarts of salted water to boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, chop red pepper and slice the smoked sausage into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Stir-fry red pepper and sausage together until heated through -- about 5 minutes.

Add tortellini to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Add edamame to water and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain tortellini and edamame well.

Toss everything together with the Italian dressing and heat through one final time.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

I am giving this recipe 5 stars. I have been obsessed with goat cheese lately so any half decent recipe with goat cheese is going to get a high review from me. I also love roasted red peppers. This recipe is just a winner in my eyes. Every time I see the picture on my pinterest board I think "I have to make this this week!" Just writing about it makes me hungry. It is just so good and so fatty. The fatty stuff is always the best stuff. I justify my eating this by remembering that it has red peppers in it. Red peppers cancel out all the fat, right? The only thing I changed about this recipe was that I left out the artichoke hearts. Not because I don't like artichokes, just because I was too lazy to put them in.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

Source: Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:

2 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fat free half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (optional)
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes.
In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.