Pasta is a comfort food, and since fall is the time of year when comfort food abounds, pasta seems like an easy dinner. But this doesn’t necessarily have to mean slow cooked marinara sauce and meatballs, there are other ways to enjoy your pasta, while also capturing the flavors of the season spectacularly.

This easy to put together tortellini does both perfectly. It starts with a package of prepared cheese tortellini; your favorite brand will do. While that is cooking, you’ll put the rest together and then toss to combine. The rest includes hearty greens cooked with apples and seasoned with the best pumpkin spice I’ve ever used: Pumpkin Pie Seasoning from Ava Jane’s Kitchen. It’s spicy and fragrant, and smells exactly like fall. You’ll finish this off with crunchy walnuts and tart cranberries to round off the aroma of the season.

This is delicious with a glass of wine and some crusty bread, or you can serve it with a salad if that’s more your thing. If you want to add more protein, you can add some cooked and shredded chicken breast, otherwise, this is a fantastic vegetarian meal.

Autumn Tortellini
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound cheese tortellini
2 tablespoons Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 clove garlic
1 small apple, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
4 cups chopped greens, such as spinach or kale
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Juice of 1 lemon
Colima Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute and add the apples. Cook until softened and stir in the Pumpkin Pie Spice. Stir and cook for 30 seconds and add the greens, and continue cooking until wilted. Stir in the walnuts, cranberries, and lemon juice. Turn off heat, add the cooked tortellini, and stir until well coated.

Season with Colima Sea Salt and black pepper before serving.

Easy to download PDF: Autumn Tortellini