One key to being a profitable residence cook dinner is having a well-stocked pantry. However to be really well-stocked is to know that your “pantry” ought to stretch past the cupboard to the fridge and freezer.
This month’s recipe — a brothy tortellini with pancetta and spinach — makes use of three elements I at all times have saved in these areas.
A fast be aware on every: Any respectable model of tortellini ought to do the trick; it might keep frozen for a lot of months. As for the broth, nevertheless, there’s just one approach to go. Higher Than Bouillon is a concentrated paste comprised of roast rooster, beef, or greens that you just dilute in water. It would final actually a few years as soon as opened, so long as you set it within the fridge. Lastly, there’s the pancetta. The shelf lifetime of this final one varies a bit. In the event you purchase the prepackaged diced cubes, the expiration date might be as much as a number of months. However even the sort you get from the butcher will final a few weeks as a result of it’s cured.
All of those elements are staples. I take advantage of the tortellini for fast weeknight meals — topped with butter and Parmesan, say, or tossed with tons of arugula, lemon, and olive oil. The Higher Than Bouillon offers soups, stews, and pan sauces extra depth than you get with water. For its half, the pancetta provides a chewy, meaty chunk to different pasta dishes, rice pilafs, frittatas, and extra.
For this dish, begin by dicing ½ of a small white or yellow onion. (The truth is, I additionally think about onions to be a pantry staple. I at all times have a bowl of them piled within the fridge, which helps mellow their tear-inducing enzymes and extends their life even longer than when you had been to depart them on the counter. It takes months, I discover, for the feel to degrade.) Weigh 2 ounces of pancetta. In the event you purchased the prepackaged type (which normally is available in 4 ounces), retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge. In the event you purchased a complete chunk, cube it into small items, not that a lot greater than your diced onion.
Place a two- or three-quart pot over medium warmth and drizzle in a few tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and pancetta on the similar time and let it sizzle, stirring sometimes, till the pancetta has taken on a deeper colour and the onion has softened, about seven minutes. (Though my recipes usually name for including salt in phases, it is a uncommon occasion the place, between the meat and the Higher Than Bouillon, you don’t want any greater than the elements carry on their very own.)
Add 2 cups of water to the pot, together with 2 teaspoons of Higher Than Bouillon. I believe the meat bouillon is just too intense on this recipe, so I take advantage of rooster, however be happy to go together with vegetable, too. Flip up the warmth to medium-high and stir till the paste is dissolved and evenly distributed. Let the liquid come to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot to maintain the water from evaporating, and let it go for about 10 minutes, till the flavors meld.
Add 3½ ounces of cheese tortellini (or a little bit bit greater than a wholesome handful). You’ll have leftovers from any commonplace package deal, however simply seal these in an hermetic bag and put them again within the freezer. Cook dinner the tortellini for about 3 minutes complete, or based on the directions on the package deal. Within the final minute, add 3 ounces of spinach, stirring so it wilts. In the event you don’t wish to weigh it, you’ll be able to simply measure this with a few huge handfuls; it shrinks so rapidly you’ll be able to eyeball an quantity that appears good to you as you go.
You’ll discover that the broth-to-tortellini ratio is shut right here. It resembles the basic Italian dish tortellini en brodo, the most effective of a soup and a pasta, with all of the warming, comforting qualities of each — and with every part you want proper at hand.
Emma Wartzman is the kitchen and eating author at New York Journal’s the Strategist.
Extra picture illustration credit: bowl picture by Emma Wartzman
