I had a package of five cheese tortellini to use up. Sometimes I layer it with "red sauce" and cheese to make a sort of tortellini-lasagne bake. Then there is chilled pasta salad. Or toss with an alfredo-like cheese sauce. But I wanted something different, and the key was something different that my daughter would eat!

So the following evolved. It was good enough (and she ate enough of it LOL) that I will surely make it again.

Savory tortellini

-1 package cheese tortellini

-1 small pork tenderloin cut into medallions then pounded thin (I think chicken would be excellent in this)

-4 large mushrooms, sliced

-2 tbsp red wine

-1 tsp beef boullion powder (can use chicken)

-1/4 cup hot water

-1/4 cup evaporated milk (cream or regular milk or sour cream could be used as well I think)

-salt, pepper, onion powder

-small amount of flour for dredging meat slices

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp butter

Cook tortellini as package directs.

Season pounded pork slices with salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Brown the meat slices on all sides (in batches if necessary). Remove from the pan. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Let it simmer for a bit to cook off some of the alcohol. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook down until they start to let off some liquid. Add the boullion powder and the water, stirring well.

Put the meat slices back into the pan. Cover and simmer until the pork is tender and cooked through. Mine only took a few minutes. Remove the cover and let the liquid reduce a bit. Add the evaporated milk and stir well. Add the cooked and drained tortellini, stirring to coat with the gravy.

Cover the pan and let it simmer for just a couple of minutes to warm the tortellini through and so they can absorb a bit of the juices. Mine was plenty thick enough at this point. If yours is too soupy, I would let the pasta simmer a little longer in it.

Add salt and pepper to taste, mine didn't need it because the beef powder I use is plenty salty and I peppered the pork slices well. In the back of my mind I was worried about how cheese would taste with a mushroom "gravy", but my worries were for naught. It was very good.

If you have a favourite "meat and gravy" sauce, consider serving it over tortellini yourself.