Another Budget Friendly Recipe to Try Tonight

I have the worst habit of pulling out recipes from magazines, online, or the newspaper ... and then never trying them. I am usually checking for recipes that I will actually make, like ones that are low-ingredient, low-cost, or low-fat. One would think then that I would actually try the recipe sometime. Especially since I like to try new things! I guess even an adventurous cook can get into a rut.

So this year, in my efforts to meal-plan and stick to Weight Watchers, I am diving back into my fun little binder of recipes each week. This one caught my eye recently, not particularly for it's title (since it has "Spring" in it, but whatever) but because it contained pasta (love) and pesto (love) and asparagus (love) and pine nuts (love). Obviously, I had pulled this recipe from that 2006 Southern Living magazine for a reason ha. Also, it has only a few ingredients, so you can make this meal for under $15!

Enjoy this meal with a piece of crusty bread, side salad, and white wine, though its also very yummy all on its own too!

Spring Tortellini with Pesto
Southern Living, March 2006
Yield: 4-6 servings, 1c. each. 
WW points per serving: approx. 10 using the lowfat pesto.

Note from K: The recipe said to skim off and reserve the oil from the top of the packaged pesto, and that the skimmed oil is an ideal dip for bread. But I actually used Low Fat Pesto from Buitoni and found it to be perfect, and more measurable for WW that way, too.

* 1 pound fresh asparagus
* 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
* 1 (7-ounce) container basil pesto
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces.

Prepare cheese-filled tortellini according to package directions. Add asparagus pieces to pasta water during last 2 minutes of cooking; drain.

Pour off any excess oil from top of pesto container. Mix together pesto, lemon rind, and salt, and then mix with tortellini and asparagus. Sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve immediately.