Make this fondue with your favorite blend of cheeses and swirl in your best pesto. The flavors meld together beautifully and are really amazing with toasted tortellini. The toasted tortellini surround soft, warm cheese tortellini with a crunchy, seasoned breadcrumb coating that’s just right for dipping.
Ingredients
For the Tortellini:
- 1 pound tortellini - any kind is fine, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
For the Pesto Fondue:
- 1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese - shredded, don't use the fresh stuff-- bagged is better here
- 6 ounces Provolone cheese - shredded
- 6 ounces Fontina cheese - shredded
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 cups white wine - Pinot Grigio, recommended
- ½ cup basil pesto
Instructions
For the Tortellini:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the milk and eggs.
- In a food processor or blender, process the panko, Parmesan, pine nuts, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into another wide, shallow bowl.
- Dip the cooked tortellini into the egg wash, stirring to coat the tortellini.
- Put the tortellini into the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat well.
- Place the tortellini on a lightly greased foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spray them liberally with olive oil (I use the extra virgin olive oil sprayer-- it's fantastic and doesn't have added chemicals, but you can also use nonstick spray if you prefer.)
- Bake the tortellini until toasted and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn the tortellini halfway through to prevent them from burning on the bottom!
For the Pesto Fondue:
- Combine the cheeses and the cornstarch in a large bowl.
- In a large pot (or fondue pot) over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Add in the garlic and let it cook until fragrant.
- Add in the white wine and bring it to a simmer. A
- dd in the cheese one handful at a time, whisking as it melts. Don't add more cheese until the last batch has melted. Continue until all of the cheese has been used up.
- Once the cheese has entirely melted, mix in the pesto.
- If you made it in a fondue pot, transfer that to the warming element. If not, keep the fondue on the burner on medium-low, or set it atop a pot holder and return to heat every 15-20 minutes to warm.