View Full Version : Tortellini on the trail
NashvilleBiscuit
03-24-2009, 10:46
Had dinner at a friends house last night. They made tortellini soup. The soup looked like something that could be made while hiking. It was as simple as adding the ingredients into boiling water along with some seasonings. Anybody ever cooked with tortellini on the trail? Got any good recipe's or reasons I shouldn't try?
Gorp-Gobbler
03-24-2009, 11:05
Had dinner at a friends house last night. They made tortellini soup. The soup looked like something that could be made while hiking. It was as simple as adding the ingredients into boiling water along with some seasonings. Anybody ever cooked with tortellini on the trail? Got any good recipe's or reasons I shouldn't try?
Being a certified chef I see no reason NOT to try it.
Experiment with it at home on your hiking stove and try adding various spices and herbs until you find one or a combination of some that strike your taste buds. Don't be afraid to try other additives like beef sticks, crumpled up chips, or bouillion cubes.:D
It works well. Barilla makes tasty ones and they cook faster than many. They don't always need the time on the package either. You can boil half the time called for and cozy the rest of the time.
If you want to add dried vegetables, etc add everything but the pasta to water in your pot. Let it soak for 10 or so minutes, then bring to a boil, drop in the pasta, cook and then enjoy!
MintakaCat
03-24-2009, 11:11
I like this recipe:
Pasta & Salmon
Servings: 1
Preperation Time: 10-15 MIN
Recipe:
1/4 pkg Bertolini spinach and cheese tortelini
1 foil pkg salmon (3oz)
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
seasoned salt
garlic
olive oil
Cook tortelini according to directions, using enough water to cover the tortelini about 1 inch, aprox 8-10 minutes, drain.
Put tortelini in another bowl and cover. In pot, heat olive oil, salt, garlic to taste with salmon til warmed.
Add more olive oil to the salmon mixture along with the tortelini. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Hell yes, Barilla tortellini is always with me when hiking. Good even with just some parmesan on it, but I always take powdered tomato sauce too
Had it last year in Canada when paddling Wabakimi and this last Saturday night on the AT at the Ensign Cowell Shelter. Nice and easy.
Blissful
03-24-2009, 13:45
We used the dry tortellinis (in a bag in the noodle aisle) you boil in water and used a knorr sauce mix for trail dinners. Delish.
Mighty Mouse
03-25-2009, 00:42
My fave trail is meal is the Barilla tortellini. Takes so little to cook. Just heat some water (not a lot), throw the pasta in and shove in a cozy. When the tortellini are plump, dump some spaghetti sauce powder, crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, powdered milk, and a squirt of olive oil. Stir up. Yum-O!
Note: a pack of the Barilla tortellini is A LOT of food. So unless you are a really big eater, break of the package into a few ziplocks.
greentick
03-25-2009, 01:27
We used the dry tortellinis (in a bag in the noodle aisle) you boil in water and used a knorr sauce mix for trail dinners. Delish.
I measured it out after a test run at home to have some extra water. Used the barilla pasta and knorr sauces too. Just add boiling water, 20min in coozy, add sauce pouch. The alfedo mixed with the tomato herb makes a good combo too.
Where would be a good source to get the tomato sauce powder? I don't think that I have ever seen this available.
Frick Frack
03-25-2009, 07:51
Tortellini was our favorite meal on the trail. I agree the Barilla was the easiest/best brand we used. Add a bunch of olive oil & you are good to go! We also dumped Tabasco on it (as with everything else we cooked). When we had it we would dice up some summer sausage and add to the drained noodles.
Where would be a good source to get the tomato sauce powder? I don't think that I have ever seen this available.
Dry your own if you have a dehydrator. Spread T sauce on a piece of parchment paper. After drying run through a food processor.
OR try here
http://www.justtomatoes.com/
Where would be a good source to get the tomato sauce powder? I don't think that I have ever seen this available.
www.harmonyhousefoods.com and www.packitgourmet.com both carry it. As well, you can dry cans of tomato paste, when dry freeze for a while, then powder in your blender, then store away. Tomato powder be it home done or commercial can pick up moisture and clump, just break the clumps up.
Mighty Mouse
03-25-2009, 20:00
For dried sauce packs - go to a larger grocery store. Look where the dried packs of gravy are. I usually buy McCormick spaghetti sauce. They also have alfredo and pesto versions. There is another brand that makes them, but I don't recall the name. As a point of reference, I usually use about have the pack of sauce for have a box of tortellini.
Knorr makes good powdered sauces as well. They are often up high, top shelf, in the dry pasta aisle.
BigFoot2002
03-25-2009, 20:16
Barilla tortellini with olive oil and parmesan cheese on it is one of my favorite trail meals. About 2 meals to a bag.
Turtlehiker
03-25-2009, 20:17
Tortellini with a squeeze tube of Pesto and some parm cheese. One tube of the Pesto is usually good for a whole Barilla bag. they also have Anchovie paste haven't tried that yet but I want to.
Target sells some really great pasta kits. Tortellini is one of the best I use it all the time. Their food in the house brand prepared pasta and rice is some of the greatest tasting backpacking/camping food I have ever found.
plowhorse379
04-01-2009, 15:13
:cool:man you guys are giving me all kinds of ideas to make when I go hiking. My friends are gonna be jealous eating mountain house when I break some of this stuff out
Slo-go'en
04-01-2009, 15:27
I also use the dry tortellini's alot, although some supermarkets down south don't seem to stock them for some reason. I often use a chicken bouillion cube for flavoring, though I found pepperoni slices are good too. Most dried tomato sause packages require tomato paste and don't taste all that good without it. Knorr add water only is the best, but that's real hard to find.
daddytwosticks
04-01-2009, 16:06
Need tomato sause for your totellini? Next time you are in a fast food joint that serves fried mozzarella sticks (Arby's, Sonic, etc), score a tub or two of their marinara sause. Store these shelf-stable tubs in your cup or cook pot. Use to top off the tortellini...just like momma made (if she's not Itallian)! :)
neighbor dave
04-01-2009, 16:37
i eat 'em right out of the bag, wash down with your fav bev
summitnh
04-04-2009, 18:37
Barilla tortellini is always with me when hiking. Good even with just some parmesan on it