When you want a quick meal, this tortellini with a butter, garlic, onion and broccoli sauce is my to-to dish, especially when I have leftover broccoli. Why leftover? The sauce is made from cooking garlic and onions in butter and tossing in cooked broccoli and cooking that down until it breaks up. Using a potato masher, pulverize the broccoli until it blends with the butter for a garlicky sauce. The first time I had this sauce it was over gnocchi but now I put it on anything. I could eat just the sauce, to be honest. Okay, it doesn’t photograph beautifully and I apologize for that. It’s still worth keeping some in the kitchen so you can eat it while you’re doing the dishes.
I woke up early this morning and watched the sunrise, knowing it was going to be a good day. The dog hadn’t pooped under the dining room table, the cat didn’t sleep on my black shirt and I figured that was a win just for waking up. I decided we needed an excursion to Costco to get the turkey. Oh, ye who prepare ahead, I bow before thee. We had a lovely 45 minute drive down to North Lakes and once inside Costco I touched everything. I could have been in a Costco anywhere in the states. Nobody but me had an American accent, however.
Let’s cut to the chase. Costco had NO turkeys. No fresh ones, no frozen one. Not even bits of a turkey. So I bought a ham for Christmas lunch and a bunch of other things I really didn’t need and came home. I bought my turkey at the supermarket because my regular butcher didn’t have any either. “Maureen, you usually pre-order, what happened this year?” I just rolled my eyes, said thanks and left. Next year I’ll pre-order. I’ll write it on the white board.
I believe I’m standing in the way of your future love affair with this broccoli sauce.
- 1 package fresh tortellini (from the supermarket or make your own)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup leftover cooked broccoli
- salt and pepper to taste (start with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (with extra for garnish)
- Cook tortellini according to package - do not overcook.
- If the broccoli is still crunchy, steam it for a few minutes until it's soft.
- In a skilled on medium heat, add the butter. When it's nearly all melted, add the onion and the garlic and stir until the onion is cooked but not browned. Turn the heat down if it looks like it's browning.
- When the onion is soft, add the broccoli and stir to combine. Cook until the broccoli begins to break down and then using a potato masher, finish the job.
- Add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and toss in the cooked tortellini.
- Serve with grated Parmesan on top.