Keep this simple trio of ingredients on hand for a nearly effortless recipe.

At the end of a long day, running to the grocery store to inventory the fridge, crack open a cookbook, or come up with a dinner plan can seem overwhelming. It’s tempting to peruse a pile of takeout menus or food delivery apps instead.

However cooking at home In fact, it can be much faster and easier than ordering (not to mention cheaper and often healthier). The important thing is to have at least one recipe in your kitchen back pocket, so extremely simpleIt can be made on autopilot using just a few simple ingredients combined with minimal effort, no cooking time, or dirty dishes to deal with later.

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Why This Recipe Is My Choice

For me this is almost effortless cooking, tortellini and brodo—Stuffed pasta in “broth” traditionally served at Christmas in Northern Italy. Made with just three ingredients—tortellini, broth, and (at least in my version) spinach or other greens—this warming dish cooks in minutes. It requires only one bowl and there is zero prep, which means you don’t even have to dirty a cutting board or knife.

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Why Is This Recipe Almost Effortless?

I always keep the three simple ingredients needed to make this ready in my freezer. Then, on those nights when I think I’m too tired to muster the energy to cook, I remember that I have everything I need to whip up this nutritious, healthy meal in about 10 minutes. Because it heats just three ingredients and requires no chopping, measuring, or timer, it doesn’t feel like a home-cooking effort, even though it tastes like it.

Enjoy it for Lunch or Dinner

Requiring no recipe, this dish is the perfect lunch or dinner as is, but I also love that it’s endlessly adaptable. Use whatever broth, tortellini, and greens you have on hand. When ready, drizzle with a little olive or truffle oil, sprinkle with some Parmesan, add some fresh parsley, basil or dill leaves. It’s also a great way to consider the possibilities and consequences in your fridge, like leftover veggies quickly reheated in broth.

The best part is that dinner will be on the table in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost than having anything delivered.

How to Make This Recipe?

Materials

In addition to pantry staples like salt and pepper, you only need three inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients for this dish.

• – Tortellini: Use fresh or frozen tortellini. I use cheese-stuffed pasta because I think it tastes better with broth and greens, but meat, vegetables, or other varieties would also be delicious. Of course, using frozen pasta means it will take a little longer to cook, but the time difference is pretty negligible. Also, I love the convenience of frozen because I can always keep it on hand without worrying about it going bad like the fresh kind.

• Broth: I prefer the comforting flavor of chicken broth, but you can also substitute vegetable or broth. Since this three-ingredient meal is so simple, it’s ideal to use. homemade stock or high-quality broth, but I usually use boxed broth or condensed bouillon paste or cubes instead. Whatever you have in your freezer, refrigerator or pantry will taste delicious.

• Greens: Delicate greens like light spinach or peppery arugula work best, as they wilt quickly in the hot broth. Opting for bite-sized greens like small spinach or arugula leaves (like those sold in clear plastic containers at the grocery store) means you won’t even have to dirty a cutting board or chef’s knife to cut them down to size. Fresh greens are nice, but I always keep a bag of chopped greens on hand. spinach in my freezer because it is very cheap and versatile. Whichever option you choose, greens add touches of color and vitamins to the dish and make it feel like a healthier, more complete meal.

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Directions

1. Choose a pot: Choose a container suitable for the amount you want to make. You can use just enough broth to cook the pasta or enough to make it feel like broth, whichever you prefer. But either way, you want to make sure the size of your pot will allow the pasta to float freely in the broth as it cooks. Cooking for a crowd? Go with a Dutch oven or pot. Only making one serving? Go with a small pot. You want at least a few inches of stock in the pan so the pasta can move freely and cook evenly as it simmers.

2. Heat the stock: Bring the stock to a boil.

3. Cook tortellini: Add the tortellini to the boiling liquid and stir for a minute to keep the pasta separate. prevent sticking. The tortellini are fully cooked when they rise to the surface and look fluffy and soft. (If you’re not sure you can tell when the pasta is done, cook according to the package directions.)

4. Add greens: As soon as the tortellini are ready, add the greens to the pot and stir. When the broth starts to boil again, turn off the heat. This may be just a few seconds if you’re using fresh greens, or about a minute if you’re using frozen greens.

5. Add salt and pepper: Season to taste.

Creative Plugins

Another great thing about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Not only is it delicious with whatever kind of broth, tortellini, and greens you want, but there are so many ways to make it. physique fill with other common refrigerator or pantry staples.

• Add more cheese, such as Parmesan, pecorino-Romano, or other hard cheese suitable for grating.

• Fresh or dried herbs: basil, parsley, thyme or dill

• red pepper flakes

• Additional vegetables, such as frozen peas or diced zucchini (add these to the broth along with the greens)

• Lemon zest or some fresh lemon juice

• Truffle oil or truffle salt