Tortellini with Cream

Tortellini with cream is fresh pasta rings filled with pork, chicken, prosciutto and mortadella, then tossed in warm heavy cream and black pepper, ready in about 2 hours 45 minutes. It serves 6, and most of the time is the filling resting while you shape the pasta.

Why This Recipe Works

The filling starts with browned meat, not raw. Browning the pork and chicken in butter builds deeper flavor, and blending them with prosciutto, mortadella and parsley gives a smooth paste that fills the small pasta shapes evenly.

Letting the filling stand for 1 to 2 hours matters. The Parmesan, nutmeg and eggs blend into the meat, so the flavor tastes whole and the paste firms up enough to spoon into each square without running.

The sauce is only heavy cream, warmed gently with the cooked tortellini. Because the filling is already rich and salty, a little cream and plenty of black pepper is all the pasta needs.

Tortellini with Cream Ingredients

For the filling

• 4 ounces lean pork
• 4 ounces chicken or turkey breast
• 4 ounces beef marrow, removed from the bone (optional)
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
• 3 ounces prosciutto
• 4 ounces mortadella
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tortellini and sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh pasta dough
• 2/3 cup (5 fluid ounces) heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

How To Make Tortellini with Cream

Make the filling

1. Chop the meats: Roughly chop the pork, the chicken or turkey, and the marrow if you use it. Small pieces brown faster and more evenly.
2. Brown in butter: Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Brown the chopped meats in it, so they pick up flavor before they go in the processor.
3. Blend to a paste: Put the browned meats in a food processor with the prosciutto, mortadella and parsley. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
4. Season and rest: Fold in 5 ounces of the Parmesan. Stir in the nutmeg, eggs, salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover the bowl and let the filling stand for 1 to 2 hours.

Shape the tortellini

5. Roll the dough: Roll the pasta dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. A thin sheet cooks through quickly and stays tender.
6. Cut squares: Cut the sheet into 2-inch squares. Keep the squares the same size so they cook at the same pace.
7. Fill and fold: Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold one corner over to make a triangle and press the edges together so the filling stays sealed.
8. Form the rings: Bring the two outer corners of each triangle together to form a ring. Lay the tortellini on a clean towel as you finish them.

Cook and serve

9. Boil: Cook the tortellini in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes, then drain.
10. Toss in cream: Return the tortellini to the pan with the 2/3 cup heavy cream. Heat through gently, so the cream warms without boiling hard.
11. Finish: Serve right away with plenty of black pepper. Pass the rest of the grated Parmesan at the table.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the dough covered: Fresh pasta dough dries out fast. Keep the squares you are not filling under a damp towel, or the edges will not seal.
• Press out the air: Squeeze out any air pocket around the filling as you seal the edges. Trapped air can make the tortellini split in the water.
• Use a gentle boil: A rolling boil can tear filled pasta. Keep the water at a steady, moderate boil and lift the tortellini out with a slotted spoon if you prefer.
• Season the cream last: The filling already has prosciutto, mortadella and Parmesan, which are salty. Taste the finished dish before you add any extra salt.

What To Serve With Tortellini with Cream

Serve the tortellini in warm shallow bowls with extra black pepper and the remaining Parmesan. A simple green salad with a sharp lemon dressing balances the creamy sauce.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep leftover tortellini in cream in a covered container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze uncooked, shaped tortellini on a tray, then move them to a bag for up to 2 months. Cook them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two.
• Reheat: Warm leftovers gently in a pan with a splash of cream or water until hot all the way through.

FAQs

Can I make the filling ahead of time?

Yes. The filling needs to rest 1 to 2 hours anyway, and you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before filling the pasta.

Can I use store-bought tortellini instead?

You can. Skip the filling and shaping steps, cook the tortellini by the package directions, then toss them in warm cream with black pepper. The flavor will be simpler but still good.

Is this tortellini recipe vegetarian?

No. The filling has pork, chicken or turkey, prosciutto and mortadella, so it is not vegetarian. A cheese and spinach filling would be a better start for a meatless version.

Why did my tortellini fall apart in the water?

Usually the edges were not sealed well or the water boiled too hard. Press the edges firmly, keep the dough covered while you work, and cook at a steady, moderate boil.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 780 kcal
• Total Fat: 48g
• Total Carbohydrate: 48g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 38g

Tortellini with Cream

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

50

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

65

minutes

Fresh tortellini filled with pork, chicken, prosciutto and mortadella, then warmed in heavy cream and finished with black pepper. A rich, make-ahead style dinner for 6.

Ingredients

• For the filling

• 4 ounces lean pork

• 4 ounces chicken or turkey breast

• 4 ounces beef marrow, removed from the bone (optional)

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter

• 3 ounces prosciutto

• 4 ounces mortadella

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated Parmesan, divided

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• For the tortellini and sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh pasta dough

• 2/3 cup (5 fluid ounces) heavy cream

• Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Directions

• Chop the meats: Roughly chop the pork, the chicken or turkey, and the marrow if you use it. Small pieces brown faster and more evenly.
• Brown in butter: Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Brown the chopped meats in it, so they pick up flavor before they go in the processor.
• Blend to a paste: Put the browned meats in a food processor with the prosciutto, mortadella and parsley. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
• Season and rest: Fold in 5 ounces of the Parmesan. Stir in the nutmeg, eggs, salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover the bowl and let the filling stand for 1 to 2 hours.
• Roll the dough: Roll the pasta dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. A thin sheet cooks through quickly and stays tender.
• Cut squares: Cut the sheet into 2-inch squares. Keep the squares the same size so they cook at the same pace.
• Fill and fold: Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold one corner over to make a triangle and press the edges together so the filling stays sealed.
• Form the rings: Bring the two outer corners of each triangle together to form a ring. Lay the tortellini on a clean towel as you finish them.
• Boil: Cook the tortellini in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes, then drain.
• Toss in cream: Return the tortellini to the pan with the 2/3 cup heavy cream. Heat through gently, so the cream warms without boiling hard.
• Finish: Serve right away with plenty of black pepper. Pass the rest of the grated Parmesan at the table.