Buttered Tortellini

I love pasta.  As a broke college student, it was always the cheapest and easiest thing to make.  But when I was living in Italy, it was even cheaper and easier to make than ever.  And there are just so many variations it's easy to find something that fits your budget, schedule and tastes.

My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy for loving pasta.  He says its too bland.  And that it's only worth eating if it has meat in it.  So he loved this one.

Ingredients
- 1 large package of cheese tortellini
- 1/2 lb of cooked ham, or pancetta 
- 1 bag of baby spinach
- 1/4 cup of butter (not margarine!)

If you get the ham from a butcher or deli, ask for a thicker slice.  I forgot to ask for a thick slice and got the thinner lunch meat slice you see in the picture.  If you get sliced ham, cut into 1/4" cubes.

1.  Bring a pot of water to boil.  Cook the tortellini as instructed on the package.

2. Before draining the water, place the spinach in the strainer.  Empty the pot, tortellini and hot water both,  into the strainer so it boils the spinach while it's draining the pasta.  Watching the spinach "deflate" so quickly is pretty neat, but accomplishes a job that would otherwise take a lot longer.

3. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium.  Stir occasionally until the butter has become foamy.  Right before the butter starts to brown, add the tortellini, ham and spinach to the pan and stir so everything gets mixed and coated well.  Sprinkle with pepper and serve.