Bonnie: “Impressive,” was my first thought when I sampled Buitoni Whole Wheat Four Cheese Ravioli a few years ago. But I’m even more impressed with their tastier and healthier Whole Wheat Three Cheese Tortellini version. These tortellini — filled with ricotta, Romano and Parmesan cheeses — are higher in fiber, lower in fat and more full of good-for-you whole grains than their original ravioli. One serving contains an impressive 49 grams of whole grains, or more than the government’s recommended daily intake.

(The government recommendation is for 48 grams of whole grains each day.)

Using these whole wheat tortellini, you can make a quick meal in less than 15 minutes by simply tossing the cooked pasta with some butter or olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a few grindings of fresh pepper to the Mediterranean Tortellini with Smoked Mozzarella included below. I just peek into my fridge while the pasta is cooking and decide what to toss it with based on what I have on hand.

To get you started, I’ve included a few quick recipes. Each is for 1 package (9-ounces) of tortellini cooked in salted water until al dente. Before draining, save about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to add — if desired — one tablespoon at a time to thin your “sauce” to the right consistency. The consistency is entirely up to you!

Fresh Tomato Sauce: Sauté 2 cloves minced garlic in 3 T olive oil until softened. Add 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, cooking until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Toss with the cooked tortellini. Garnish with 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil. For a smoother sauce, puree in the blender or food processor.

Sage Butter: Melt 4 T butter, add 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook over low heat until the butter just begins to brown. Toss with the cooked tortellini. Garnish with fresh minced sage.

Pesto: Toss cooked tortellini with 1/4 to 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pesto — add enough to coat the pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Pesto: Warm 1 cup diced chicken with 1/4 to 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pesto. Add cooked tortellini, tossing until the pasta is coated with the pesto. Add more pesto, if needed. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Mediterranean with Smoked Mozzarella: Sauté 1 medium-sized sliced onion in 2 T olive oil until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup halved grape tomatoes and 1 minced clove garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, cook 1 minute, then add 1/2 cup minced parsley, 1/2 cup minced basil, 1/3 cup minced Kalamata olives, 1 t oregano and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add cooked tortellini. Add 1/2 pound diced smoked mozzarella and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bryan: I love a simple meal. While I always will be of the mindset that the best meals are home cooked, I find that I am more and more apt to use prepackaged foods in my life. There is nothing like creating in the kitchen: It is an experience that we continue to encourage on Bite of the Best and that I hope you will continue to adopt to your life. That said, when I get home from work and I’m hungry…well, I just want to eat, not create. When these instances strike, these moments of sudden hunger, I don’t just lean on fast food for nourishment: I head to my pantry. Though I was raised in a house where we always cooked, I do understand not wanting to do so (at least to cook every night). What I never will understand, though, is why people opt for burgers and fries and greasy calories over a good home-cooked (prepackaged) meal.

I think most people would be surprised that food can be created at home in less time than it takes to use a drive-thru, for less money and with much better nutritional value. The pasta-and-sauce option is popular to many in this capacity, but has always been a bit too bland for my taste. In fact, sauce is one of the few things I think always should be homemade. A pasta meal is such a great option for speed and ease, that I often have lamented that I was not a bigger fan of this classic. Though my affinity for spaghetti has not changed dramatically, the continued rollout over the years of better and better packaged stuffed pastas, such as ravioli and tortellini, has sincerely piqued my interest. Buitoni continues to up the ante with its newest introduction to this market: whole wheat pasta stuffed with a chicken and prosciutto filling.

A package of this tortellini serves three (or one to two hungry boys) and is incredibly simple and delicious. I open a can of tomatoes as I put the water up to boil for my pasta. Heat the tomatoes in a small saucepan, stirring in some olive oil and spices to taste while mashing down any chunky bits. Once the water is boiling, add a dash of salt and/or oil with your pasta and let cook for 7-9 minutes while your tomatoes stew. When ready, combine the sauce and pasta and serve topped with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. Buitoni is relatively low in calories (340) and contains 11g of fiber and 16g of protein per serving. This is a meal in minutes that is high on taste and nutrition; next time, leave the burgers for the cookout.

Eric: Who doesn’t love pasta? It has become a staple of my diet and no matter in what form it comes, I’m always eager to dig in. To digress, I grew up in the New Haven, CT, area — hometown of Yale University, reputedly the first ever hamburger (Louis Lunch) and, arguably, the best Italian food this side of Italy. New Haven is famous for its pizzerias, but also has its fair share of other Italian restaurants — lucky for me since I’ve been able to enjoy fresh pasta and homemade sauces for the better part of my childhood (both from the restaurants and my mother’s kitchen).

My first trip to Italy in the summer of 2002 left me craving the Italian food in New Haven. That’s not to say that “traditional” Italian food in Florence and Rome was not tasty; it just didn’t compare to the Italian-American food I had grown so fond of. One of my favorite places in New Haven was Luizzi’s. I used to salivate as I walked into the store – fresh pasta (tortellini, ravioli, manicotti), homemade sausages, breaded cutlets, jars of garden-fresh sauce. This store was my playground, and I was a chubby kid.

Fast-forward 10 years and I’m still a pasta addict. My days of Luizzi’s have disappeared and the quicker meal has taken its place (at least four days a week). Like my brother, I also enjoy making my own sauce – it’s the difficulty in finding a pasta to eat it with that’s been the challenge. Buitoni has always been a recognizable brand for quality and taste, and its new line of whole wheat tortellini lives up to that standard. I always have a package (or two) in my fridge and have grown to realize that although I can’t get my pasta fresh, this is close enough.