Baked Broccoli & Tortellini Casserole with Roasted Bell Pepper Creame

I made this pasta a few weeks ago for my cousin's baby shower. I found the recipe a few years ago but had forgotten about it until I was looking through all my old recipes to find one to make for the shower. It is a bit labor intensive but the results are so worth it :) It has become a Payne family favorite!

Ingredients:

6 ounce Chicken Breast

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

9 ounce package of refrigerated cheese or meat-filled Tortellini

2 Cups of frozen Broccoli florets

1 large Red Bell Pepper

1 1/4 Cup of Cream

2 Tablespoons of Butter

5 ounces of whole Parmesan Cheese, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of Pepper

4 cloves of Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Basil

1/4 teaspoon Thyme

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

Salt and pepper the chicken (to taste). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet and sauté the chicken on high heat until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, cut into strips and set aside. (*I just cooked my chicken in the oven while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. Its less work that way :)

Cook the tortellini according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Defrost the broccoli by placing it in a large bowl and pouring hot water over it. Drain water and pour more hot water over it. Repeat this until broccoli has defrosted. Then drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to broil/grill (the highest top-heat setting available).
Place the red bell pepper on a rack the closest to the top that is physically possible. Broil each side of the bell pepper for about 5-8 minutes or until it has completely blackened and burned. Turn and repeat for each side and the bottom. Then, remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, scrape off all blackened skin, the core and seeds, and cut into strips. Save about 2 strips (enough that when diced you get 2 tablespoons worth); set aside. Place the rest in a food processor and puré; set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, combine butter and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, and then add cream, salt, pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese chunks. Stir constantly until the Parmesan has melted and combined into the cream sauce. Lower the heat it it starts to stick to the pan.
Add puréed and diced roasted bell pepper and mix in. Dump the tortellini, broccoli, and chicken into the skillet with the sauce and mix well. Pour into a medium-small casserole dish.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs with oregano, basil, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and then mix in melted butter. Sprinkle this over the top of the tortellini mixture. Broil/grill 4-6 inches from top heat for 1-2 minutes of until the topping has turned golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.

(Recipe and picture from here)