Tortellini and Broccoli in Red Sauce
Dried tortellini, dried broccoli, and a sauce built from tomato powder. One pot, no draining.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 113
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 14 min
- total time
- 16 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried cheese tortellini | 4 oz | the shelf-stable dried kind, not refrigerated |
|---|---|---|
| Dried broccoli florets | 1/2 cup | freeze-dried rehydrates fastest |
| Tomato powder | 3 tbsp | or a squeeze packet of marinara if you would rather carry the weight |
| Italian seasoning | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Parmesan, grated hard | 2 tbsp | the dry shaker kind keeps for weeks |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli and let it sit off the heat for five minutes to soften.
- Return to a boil, add the tortellini, and cook at a low boil until the pasta is tender. Dried tortellini takes eight to ten minutes.
- Do not drain. Kill the heat and stir in the tomato powder, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. It thickens as it cools.
- Stir in the oil and the parmesan. Salt and pepper, then lid it for two minutes before eating.
The original is an oven bake with refrigerated pasta, a jar of sauce, and a broccoli-roasting step. None of that travels. Dried tortellini, dried broccoli, and tomato powder get you the same plate from one pot, and the pasta water becomes the sauce instead of going in the dirt.
Order matters. Broccoli needs a long soak and pasta needs a hard boil, so the broccoli goes in first and rides through the whole cook. The tomato powder goes in last, off the heat, because it scorches on the bottom of a pot and because it thickens what would otherwise be a bowl of pasta soup.
Packing
Tortellini in one bag, broccoli in another so it does not crush. Tomato powder and seasonings premixed in a small bag. Parmesan and oil ride separately.
Variations
- A stick of pepperoni sliced in adds fat and salt if you are not keeping it vegetarian.
- Sun-dried tomatoes clipped small give the sauce more body than powder alone.
https://ohmyveggies.com/cheese-tortellini-bake-roasted-broccoli