May

Welcome to May—a happy month of flowers, Mother’s Day and if you happen to be like my mom or dad, wedding anniversaries.  During this happy month of May, I challenge you to try something new:  during this month of May, try celebrating Meatless Monday.

Meatless Monday is a term I have heard in various realms, but it always points to the same idea, committing to eat vegetarian at least one day a week.  And so for the month of May, I plan to share a meatless meal each Monday to inspire you.  I’ll also share tips and insights from our Lenten vegetarian experiment last year that helped our omnivore family easily transition to meatless eating.

For the first Meatless Mondays in May recipe, I share a very simple, very kid-friendly dish that is quick, tasty and won’t have anyone in your family asking, “where’s the meat?”:  Baked Tortellini.  The tortellini is layered with green beans and covered with marinara and cheese, creating an
almost lasagna-like dish.

Easy Baked Tortellini

1 pound cheese or vegetable tortellini, cooked according to the package instructions
1 – 28 to 32 ounce jar marinara
16 ounces, frozen green beans
2 cups, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions.  Drain, and set aside.  While the tortellini is cooking, place the green beans in a metal colander, set over the boiling water and allow to steam 5-6 minutes or until slightly al dente.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, pour 1/3 of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 or similar sized pan.  Top with ½ the tortellini and then ½ the green beans.



Sprinkle ½ cup cheese on top of the green beans.  Repeat.  Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the dish is bubbly.

Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

Serves 6



A very easy way to eat a meatless meal!

SPC