TIO Tuesday - Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

There's something about "Tuscan" being in the title that grabs my attention every time. I think it might be because I'm still yearning to go to Italy. I love Italian food, pasta, really any combination of the two works for me. I had a few friends over today for lunch and this recipe fit the bill quite nicely. It's wonderful to be able to share food with friends and family. I have to say, it's one of my favorite things to do. Brad hasn't tried this yet, but I'm fairly certain he will approve.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Ingredients

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons white wine
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• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
  1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  Garnish: fresh basil strips

Preparation

1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

****  These are my notes, above notes are from the original recipe. Like the original, I used her brands of ravioli and the pasta sauce. I added sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce with the two tomatoes. I used a bit more of wine, a small pour of heavy cream and a couple of tablespoons of butter at the end. I let this thicken a bit prior to serving. I also added sliced chicken breasts that had been marinated in Italian dressing and sauteed in a dash of olive oil.
Enjoy!
~ Misty