Go figure.
Go figure I picked the hottest day of the year thus far to make a hearty, wintery meal that used both the stove top and oven to create. Oh well…it was totally worth it to enjoy 6 Cheese Tortellini with Goat Cheese Marinara Sauce for dinner!
Mmmmhmmmm!
On this zesty, 93 degree evening, I whipped up some Schwann’s frozen Six Cheese Tortellini, from the company’s line of Live Smart products, which they sent me last week to try.
I’m not a HUGE frozen foods girl, but I will ALWAYS make an exception for cheese…and pasta…and cheese-filled pasta (and ice cream!).
To go with the cheesy pasta, I created a dynamite sauce using my #1 favorite jarred pasta sauce – locally made Gino’s Marinara Sauce – and some of the fresh chevre goat’s cheese I got at the Farmer’s Market this weekend!
There’s some insanely low number of ingredients in this sauce – like 4 – and I couldn’t make it better myself. So I don’t. I buy Gino’s!
I let it warm up on the stovetop and when it was heated through, I stirred in the creamy cheese, which added just a hint of tang and decadence.
Look at that swirlage!
Ahhh, see the steam? Ben and I were sweatin’ to the oldies tortellini tonight!
LOVING it, though! For 190 calories you get a fairly large portion of the pasta, which left me feeling pleasantly full, and extremely satisfied.
Each bite was chewy, creamy and super cheesy. I guess stuffing six types of cheese in there will do that for you. 
Actually, make that seven types of cheese, if you count the chevre! It really took this frozen pasta and jarred sauce dinner up a gourmet notch.
On the side I served some fresh broccoli.
Thrown into the tortellini pot when there was about 2 minutes left to cook. Perfect every time!
And I had to turn on the stove to broil up some zesty garlic bread. Just a slice of whole wheat bread, spread with a little butter, sprinkled with garlic powder, and broiled ’til brown. AMAZE!
I’d break into a sweat for this dinner any day! (TMI?)
With that, Ben and I are off to brave the heat for a walk. I was filling up my gas tank earlier today and felt the sun singing my skin after standing there for only 30 seconds. So I guess I take that back. After some sunscreen and water, THEN we’ll be off!
NEW BACHELORETTE TONIGHT! Will you be watching??
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Do you still turn on the stove and oven when it’s hot out?
I usually do everything in my power to plan meals that use the grill, or little to no heat to cook when it’s this hot out. But the tortellini called to me…and I had to answer!
I wanted to buy some cheese from that stand at the Farmers Market but they were sold out of everything by the time I got there! Next time
I loooove stuffed pasta. I go with the generic bags of ravioli and/or tortellini at Hy-Vee. The sauce looks good! It reminds me of mixing alfredo and marinara sauces together.
That looks crazy good! Going to have to try using my plain chevre that way too.
AND…that reminds me. There’s another wonderful vendor of goat cheese at the farmer’s market and they have the BEST kind ever. You MUST try it. Northern Prairie Chevre Summertime Salsa flavor. Seriously…I’m having a hard time not devouring it all in one sitting. I had it on crackers as my dinner tonight.
Stuffed pasta is so good! I’m going to have to try the Gino’s sauce! It looks great!
Hope you guys had a great walk….it’s HOT out today! I was very thankful to come home to my air conditioner!
I used the stove tonight to cook some rice, and boy, was it hot! But I loved my dinner:) So worth it!
I just couldn’t use the stove tonight. 94 and smoking hot out, just wasn’t happening. Although, I could still eat something hot if somebody else cooked it for me.
YES, I will definitely be watching the Bachelorette!
wow that sounds amazing. i must try. tortellini is one of my all time favorite pastas. i made your spring rolls tonight! except i used mung bean noodles which were super slippery, so im curious to see how they taste. ill report back!
Mmm, goat cheese and sauce! Now that is something I can definitely get into!
I couldn’t bear to turn on the stove tonight, it was TOO hot.
Go figure, I just whipped up turkey enchiladas and it’s currently 91 degrees out. I’m happy I’m not the only one braving the heat lol
Goat cheese in marinara is such a good idea! That looks divine on the tortellini.
Yeah, I’m one of those nuts that will bake/cook/broil/fry just about anything on the hottest day of the year and groan the whole way through!
lol
Jenn
O man! I am going to put goat cheese in pasta sauce the next time I am around a pot of sauce. That sounds so amazing I wish I hadn’t eaten dinner already and it wasn’t 830 pm already. Wow – I have gotten some great ideas here but that sounds just plain genius!
Thanks!
Haha…two comments in one day! Sorry for bombarding you! The dinner looks so good and I’d eat it if it were 90 degrees out!
Oh this looks amazing! I love goat cheese, yum!
. I bet that’s a great twist on just regular marina sauce!
Looks great! I LOOVE tortellini!
We haven’t turned on the air conditioning yet in my house – thank goodness it’s been kinda rainy on and off the past week, or I’d sizzle and die!
That pasta looks amazing- I love Italian food!
And yes I will def. be watching the new Bachelorette!! Can’t wait!
I’ve had the six cheese tortellini–it’s all right. I’ll definitely have to try Gino’s though.
Have you ever thought of buying a toaster oven? We have one and it’s great for making my 3-yr old chicken nuggets, making garlic bread, heating mini pizzas and other small items without heating up the whole house by turning the oven on. You can get decent ones pretty cheap. Ours both toasts and bakes up to 400 degrees, plus broils.
I think we’re in for a long, hot, humid summer! My kiddo and I hit the Raccoon River beach today–my calves got a bit pink and I missed a tiny stripe on his shoulders with sunblock. Hopefully you fared better!
I’m watching it right now!! She sort of reminds me of britney spears? I don’t know what it is…but yummy dinner; I love tortellini!!
That sounds delicious!! I am CRAZY about pasta and cheese!
Totally watching the Bachelorette! Well I’m DVRing it but yeah.. I wouldn’t miss it!
Oh, tortellini..how I love thee! It’s one of my favourite meals
Funny you should ask about turning on the stove/oven in hot weather, as I’ve been on the prowl for recipes/meals that will allow me to avoid doing just that. Well, the stovetop is okay, but I definitely want to avoid baking or broiling.
Using the grill is one obvious work-around. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night, and I was going to make oven fries, but given that it was nearly 90, we did them on the grill in a cast-iron pan. They didn’t turn out perfectly, but for the first time out, they weren’t bad.
And one no-cook meal that my husband and I have hit upon: Salads! Last night we basically made ourselves a big salad bar, using some leftover crudités from Saturday night and rounding it out with extra vegetables, deli turkey, a few hard-boiled eggs, and (in my case) tuna.
@AmyLou: Good idea on the toaster oven as well. We have one, and we used it to reheat leftover burgers on Sunday night. I think they came out better than if we’d done the same in the microwave.
We don’t have air, so we try not to use the stove or oven when it’s warm. I just found out that hamburger browns amazingly on a cast iron pan on the grill
I adore tortellini, or any kind of pasta with cheese for that matter
)
Of course, no weather can stop me in making nice meals and baking yummy desserts
That looks so yummy! At Fareway last night, the Ginos sauce jars all had 75cent off coupons taped on them, even the small jars, so I stocked up! I love it too! And as if I don’t get enough of it at home, that’s usually what I order when I go to Ginos too! Ha! I usually try not to fire up the stove…but if I really want something that requires the stove, I’m firing it up! The toaster oven comes in handy in these events. I really love my little toaster oven!
You had me at tortellini…this looks so delicious!
I love tortellini, but we have such a disappointing selection in England! Yours look so much more delicious! I’d definitely brave the heat for that meal though!
When it’s hot out I make garlic bread the quick and dirty way… toast some bread, spread some butta, sprinkle some garlic salt!
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