3-Cheese Tortellini Party Wreath

Hey Everyone! I’m thrilled to be able to bring you a guest post from one of the head Chefs at my University’s Culinary School today. I told Chef Lewis that we were always on the lookout for quick and easy dishes that could impress, especially at Christmastime and he came through with one that is just beautiful. I know you’re going to love this idea! Special thanks to the culinary department of the University of North Alabama (click here to visit their Facebook page) and  to all of my wonderful teachers who put up with me back in the day 🙂

Gratefully, Christy

Hi there, I’m Chef Lewis from the University of North Alabama’s Culinary Department in Florence, Al. I was asked to do a guest post to share some of our recipes for the holidays, and I was more than happy to do so. We’re very happy to have Christy as one of our departments alumni’s, and we’re happy that we can share some of our ideas with all of you.

Today I’m going to show you how to make a quick and easy party entree that your guests are sure to love.

You’ll need:: 3 cheese tri-colored tortellini, olive oil, pesto, spaghetti sauce, salt, skewers or picks.

Note: This tortellini is found in the refrigerator section (usually near the cheese) or in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Bring the water and salt to boil in a pot.

Add the packages of tortellini to the water, and cook about 2-3 minutes.

Drain the pasta with a colander.

Then place the pasta into a second bowl, and coat with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (this will keep the pasta from sticking together).

Spread the pasta onto a single layer in a pan, and allow to cool enough that you can handle it comfortably.

You can then use either bamboo skewers or small colorful picks to skewer the pasta.

For using the bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in a pan of water for about 20 minutes before you put the tortellini on them.

This makes keeps them from splintering when you put the pasta on them.

Place them on the picks in alternating colors, using 6 pieces total for the longer skewers, or 3 pieces on the shorter picks.

This is a shorter pick for a smaller platter.

This is a longer pick, where I used a bamboo skewer, for the larger platter. 

Arrange them on a serving dish to look like a Holiday wreath.

In the center of the wreath, place a small serving bowl filled with either marinara sauce, or pesto, whichever one you personally like better.

This photo shows long skewers arranged in a large wreath pattern with marinara sauce in the center.

And here are our shorter skewers arranged around some store bought pesto sauce.

Dip into sauce and enjoy this easy Holiday treat!

Merry Christmas from Southern Plate and the University of North Alabama Culinary Department!

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No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land,

or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

– Helen Keller

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