Cheese Tortellini with Lemon Roasted Asparagus

Cheese Tortellini with Lemon Roasted Asparagus 

Cook's notes: A springtime dish that's easy to prepare and bursts with lemon flavors and roasted asparagus. It's great served as a side dish.  Broccoli can be substituted for asparagus.
Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com and serves 3-4
Ingredients:
For the roasted asparagus or broccoli  

• 1 lb. broccoli, cut into bite size pieces or 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 3 inch pieces 
• 1 TB. olive oil or lemon olive oil 
• 1 tsp. balsamic white vinegar
• 1 TB. fresh lemon juice
• 3 lemon slices
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Tortellini

• 1- 9 oz. package cheese tortellini (refrigerated I used Buitoni but frozen works also)
• 1 TB.butter
• 1 TB.minced shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• 2 cups packed fresh spinach
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the broccoli or asparagus pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic. Add the garlic and lemon slices, toss broccoli or asparagus until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once. Remove broccoli or asparagus when it's crisp and slightly charred. Remove lemon slices and tent a piece of foil to keep asparagus or broccoli warm. 
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. When cooked, drain, reserving  1/4 cup of the pasta water. Set the water and tortellini aside.
• Put the pot back on the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute 1 minute. 
• Turn the heat to low and add in the reserved pasta water, cooked tortellini, lemon juice and spinach. Cook on low until spinach is wilted about 1 minute. Add in Parmesan cheese and asparagus or broccoli. Stir and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm and add lemon zest over the dish. 

Spring Washes Over the Desert Landscape