Kale & Tortellini Alfredo

Tortellini and kale in a bacon-flavored cheese sauce is a perfect quickie dinner.

Here’s a tasty and easy meal for empty nesters!

Although there’s a few steps in this dish, they are not difficult and the whole shebang is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Perfect dinner for 2

I used kale because I bought a big bag weeks ago, blanched the lot of it and froze it. If you don’t have frozen kale (which is already processed) on hand and want to use fresh kale, it’s necessary to blanche it first. Don’t eliminate this step!! It’s necessary to eliminate some of the waxiness of the vegetable and it also takes away a lot of the bitterness.

It’s perfectly OK to use fresh baby spinach in this. In fact, it’s what the original recipe on cooking.com calls for. I just happened to have kale and thought it would be a better choice for my taste–even though I love spinach too.

A feast for the eyes too!

My recipe also differs from the original in that I use more cheese, less bacon, eliminated spices that I thought were weird with this and also used frozen tortellini.

The recipe serves 2 but it can be easily doubled to serve 4.

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo
1 bag (16 oz) frozen 3-cheese tortellini
2 cups chopped blanched kale*
4 slices bacon
3 tbs flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano Cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


*Fresh baby spinach may be substituted. If using fresh kale, it is important to blanche it first by submerging in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then submerging in ice water, draining and patting dry. Frozen kale has already been blanched and may also be substituted if you wish to use kale and not spinach. 


Cook tortellini per package directions; drain and set aside.


Roughly chop bacon.


Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and brown. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.


Whisk the flour into the bacon drippings, stirring to eliminate any lumps. 


Whisk the milk into the flour/drippings mixture gradually to prevent lumps. Add the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to thicken–about 2-3 minutes.


Stir in the cheese. Add the kale in small portions and cook until kale (or spinach) is wilted.


Stir in the cooked tortellini until it’s coated evenly with sauce; heat through.


Top with reserved bacon.


Serves 2

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo

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