Legend has it.......

The origin legend of the stuffed pasta tortellini is very interesting. As the story goes, One says that this dish is born in Castelfranco Emilia (province of Modena). One night during a trip, Lucrezia Borgia checked into an inn in the small town. Over the course of the night the inn keeper became so captivated by Lucrezia's beauty that he couldn't resist the urge to peek into her room through the keyhole. The bedroom was only lit by a few candles, and so he could merely see her navel. This pure and innocent vision was enough to send him into an ecstasy that inspired him to create the tortellini that night. (Wikipedia)

I recently heard this story somewhere and thought it was really creative. Who knows if it is true, but it was enough to get me thinking of the ring shaped stuffed pasta. My husband loves stuffed pastas and I knew he would enjoy this dish.

Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers
Real Simple Magazine

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher Salt and Pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 pound cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen) - I used fresh Whole Wheat tortellini
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Paresan (2 ounces)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over midium-high heat. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Ad the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the broth and tortellini.

Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

Fold in the parsley and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Spoon in to bowls and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

This dish was extremely easy to prepare and filled with flavor. The crushed red pepper flakes gave it a kick and the eggplant was a great hearty addition. I will definitely make this again!