Spring Tortellini

This is a wonderful springtime dish! Patrick and I made this a few weeks ago when his mother was in town. This dish comes together super quick so we didn't have to worry about a lot of prep stuff while we were busy having a fun weekend. This utilizes lots of fresh, spring vegetables including asparagus. It's a great meatless meal too and since it's full of flavor you won't mind that it's vegetarian.

Tortellini with asparagus, peas, and mint From Mod Meals on Mendenhall 

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough, woody stems, and cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces

1 cup shelled fresh peas (or thawed frozen peas)

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

2 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened

Salt and pepper

Directions
   In a 6-quart covered pot, bring 3 quarts well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

   In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

   Cook the tortellini, asparagus, and peas in the boiling water until the tortellini is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.

   Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and toss with the garlic-oil mixture. Add  the pine nuts, mint, and  goat cheese and stir until the cheese melts into a sauce, adding cooking water as needed to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.