Cheesy Tortellini & Kale Salad with Carrots & Candied Pecans

Dinner last night was really good - I was so tired from a long day at work and really didn't feel like cooking at all. But, when Q got home, we both got in the kitchen and cooked this one together (side note - I am so lucky!). It's really a simple meal and doesn't take more than 45 minutes from start to finish. The pasta needed a little help from the original recipe so I've added those notes in the ingredients. 

Kale Salad with Carrots & Candied Pecans

serves 6

Kale Salad with Candied Pecans and Carrots

ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 2 tsp wildflower honey

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 10 cups stemmed and torn kale

• 1 cup carrots, shredded

• 1 cup candied pecans

• Kosher Salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions

1. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, add the first 4 ingredients and shake vigorously until well combined. Set aside.

2. Wash and spin dry the kale, place in a large bowl with the shredded carrots. Add the dressing and toss, let stand for 10-20 minutes then toss again. Season with S&P and add the nuts when serving.

Now onto the pasta portion of the meal...

Cheesy Tortellini

serves 4

Cheesy tortellini with garden cherry tomatoes, chives & garlic

ingredients
• 19 oz frozen cheese tortellini
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher Salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, set aside.

2. Heat the heavy cream, garlic and lemon zest over medium low until simmering. Add the pasta and toss until coated, then remove from heat.

3. Add the tomatoes, chives and Parmesan cheese... stir until well combined adding some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste. Top with a bit more Parmesan and chives when serving.

While the tortellini wasn't the most amazing pasta dish I've ever had before - it was tasty. I added some extra seasonings to give it more punch as I thought it was bland while I was cooking. I used cherry tomatoes and chives straight from my garden - always a thrill! The salad was phenomenal - I think I'll use Kale every time now... it is sooo good. The trick is to let the dressing sit on the Kale for a bit to help soften it up. Yum!!! The combination of salty and sweet really plays well in this salad... next time I'd like to add some blue cheese and omit the salt from the recipe - that sounds like a dream, if you like blue cheese ;-)!

Enjoy!

Both recipes adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray.