When it comes to giving kids a quick, healthy, tasty meal, cheese tortellini can do just the trick. This recipe is for an Italian-style broth with cheese tortellini and onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, seasonal corn and some optional store-bought basil pesto. In Italy, this preparation with tortellini in broth would be called "tortellini en brodo."

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced onion
1 large clove of garlic
2 ears of fresh corn (or equivalent of frozen corn)
Half of a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 nine-ounce package of cheese tortellini
Olive oil
Grated parmesan cheese
Basil pesto (optional)

Procedure:
This version of the recipe uses a deep, heavy-bottomed pot with good splash of olive oil to sauté about 1/2 cup diced onion and a large minced clove of garlic until they soften up a bit. Next, add the corn from 2 ears of fresh corn and cook for a couple of minutes.

Keep in mind that frozen corn and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables could also be used, depending on what vegetables the kids like.

Add half of a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes and 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and bring it up to a simmer for a few minutes.

Next, add one 9-ounce package of cheese tortellini, let the pasta float back up to the surface, cook along for 3-4 minutes and then serve.

Ladle it into individual bowls and add an optional dollop of store-bought basil pesto with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese.