Culinary Guides

Cheese tortellini simmered in a creamy fire roasted tomato sauce with ground turkey, this is the kind of dinner that pulls together on a busy weeknight. A tangle of sweet and hot peppers and a chopped onion build the base, and a swirl of cream rounds it all out.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large sweet pepper, chopped (bell pepper is fine)
• 1 large Cubanelle pepper, chopped (or sub a bell pepper)
• 1 serrano pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Gochujang (or Sriracha)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (or Mexican crema)
• 1 (20-ounce) bag tortellini, cooked

For serving

• Fresh chopped herbs
• Chopped peppers
• Your favorite hot sauce

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, sweet pepper, Cubanelle, serrano, and jalapeno and cook about 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
4. Add the ground turkey along with the dried basil, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Break it into chunks with a wooden spoon and cook 6 to 7 minutes until cooked through.
5. Pour in the fire roasted tomatoes and chicken broth, stir in the Gochujang, and simmer at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour for a richer sauce.
6. Stir in the heavy cream and swirl to bring the sauce together.
7. Fold in the cooked tortellini until well coated.
8. Serve in bowls with fresh chopped herbs, extra chopped peppers, and a little hot sauce.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stove. To make it meatless, skip the turkey and add zucchini or spinach.

Grower's tip: this sauce is a happy home for a mixed pepper harvest. Pick sweet peppers once they have colored up fully for the most sugar, and harvest serranos and jalapenos on the early side for milder heat, or leave them on the plant longer if you want them hotter.

Almost everything that flavors this pan can come from your own beds. Grow a row of sweet and hot peppers, an onion patch, a few tomato plants to roast yourself, and a pot of basil by the door.