Tortellini With Roasted Eggplant & Peppers-South Beach Diet - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs eggplants, diced into 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
1 teaspoon salt (low sodium blend)
1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks (may substitute with prepackaged Italian chicken breasts chunks such as Purdue Short Cuts)
1 small onion, sliced (red onion is best)
1 red pepper, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 (14 1/2 ounce) chopped tomatoes, undrained (Hunts fire roasted)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 (8 ounce) package cheese tortellini, whole wheat, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (can substitute with asiago or low fat mozzarella)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450\u00b0F.
Cover a shallow cooking pan with foil. Place eggplant chunks in the pan and drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls oil, season with half of the salt, crushed red pepper and Italian herb blend. Toss well to coat. Bake, stirring once until eggplant is lightly browned about 20 minutes.
Season the chicken breast with the remaining salt, crushed red pepper and Italian herbs.
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a non stick frying pan until hot. Add the chicken breasts and fry until lightly brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add onion slices and stir gently. Cook until onion is soft about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper and stir to coat well. Lower the heat and add the undrained tomatoes and stir well. Simmer for 3 minutes and add the basalmic vinegar and stir.
Add the roasted eggplant and chicken and stir well. Add the drained, cooked tortellini and stir gently.
Check for seasonings, adjusting to taste.
Transfer contents to a oven proof casserole dish with a tight fitting lid, sprinkle with the cheese and cover. Place in the warm oven to allow cheese to melt about 5 minutes.
Serve with a salad and multigrain rolls.
Manja!