Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus

This recipe was in Gourmet Magazine posted on Epicurious.com, but came to me recommended by a friend.

I made a few changes to the recipe and updated the times. For instance, the recipe said to start with 4 cups of broth, boil and reduce to 1 cup in 6 minutes. I was pretty certain that it would not reduce that fast. I started with 3 cups and it took 20 minutes to reduce to 1 cup.

Anyway, it turned out really good!

Be careful not to cook the asparagus for too long - the more it cooks, the less it will taste like fresh aspaagus and the more it will taste like yucky canned asparagus. (I really hate the canned stuff!)

CREAMY CHEESE TORTELLINI W/ ASPARAGUS

3 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (2 x 1 inch) strips lemon zest
1 (20-25 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 bunch asparagus (3/4 pound), trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Boil broth with garlic, thyme, pepper and lemon zest in a large saucepot until reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard garlic pieces and zest.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.

Stir cornstarch into cream, then whisk into broth. Bring to a simmer, whisking, then continue to simmer about 3 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and tortellini and cook, gently stirring, until heated through.

Yield: 4 main dish servings