Tortellini Florentine: Recipes that Hide Veggies

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s always difficult to think of something to buy for men. Here in the South, we have a saying, that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
This year, I’ve got you covered to help make it easy on yourself with this Tortellini Florentine recipe. Prepare this dish with a salad and bread, light some candles, and you’ll have a nice dinner at home – with or without the kids!

This is such an easy dish to prepare, but it’s so tasty, you’ll feel like you ordered it from a sit-down Italian restaurant. It’s a great meal for the whole family, but also fancy enough for a nice little date night at home.
I came up with this recipe several years ago, when Mr. G and I first got married. I’m always looking for ways to incorporate and hide veggies in meals – not just for my kids but for us as well!
This dish is a great way to serve lots of great vegetables and tastes so good even your kids will gobble it up… Mine love it.

Tortellini Florentine

Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3- 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped (or 10-12 oz frozen)
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes,14.5 oz
- 1 jar/can of artichoke hearts in water, 14 oz, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce (mine has mushrooms)
- 1 jar of Alfredo sauce
- 2 packages of cheese tortellini (8oz packages, frozen is also great)
- Shredded Italian blend cheese
- Garlic salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-med high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and spinach until soft and wilted, stirring often. Season with garlic salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice, and both jars of sauce until well combined. Add in artichokes, stirring gently, as not to break them all apart. Turn heat to low and simmer while pasta is cooking.
- In a large pot, boil tortellini in salted water according to package directions. Drain well.
- Gently combine pasta with sauce and stir. Serve immediately with a small handful of Italian cheese.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-med high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and spinach until soft and wilted, stirring often. Season with garlic salt and pepper, to taste.
- Mix it up: Add fresh sautéed mushrooms or chicken.
