How to Make Pasta in Thick Spinach and Tomato Sauce

What is tortellini

Tortellini is a small ring-shaped Italian delicacy stuffed with ground pork, chicken, ricotta, spinach, or veal and typically served in a thick savory soup.

Tortellini require some practice to make and shape, and they are not the easiest food to make. When making tortellini, it is important that the filling is cold but not too wet, as this will make tortellini difficult to shape and thus may burst in the water. Homemade tortellini tastes way better than store-bought.

Tricks for shaping pasta

Make sure to lay out the pasta dough thinly enough for the filling to take center stage and the pasta to serve only as a vessel to hold everything together.

Spray some water on the dough to keep it moist and stop it from drying out and cracking while you shape your pasta.

Avoid overfilling your pasta because it will be difficult to shape properly and may rupture when it is boiled if you do.

When shaping the pasta, make sure there is no air left around the filling. This will prevent the pasta from exploding when it is boiling.

Do not overcook your filled pasta as it will burst.

Tips for cooking tortellini

You can use either dried, frozen, or fresh tortellini. If you prefer fresh, reduce cooking time by only a few minutes. If using frozen, keep in mind it will cool down your soup slightly and take longer to bring to a simmer.

You can also use fresh herbs in place of Italian seasoning if you have access to them. To replace dried Italian spice, try a mixture of fresh basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, and/or rosemary.

You can use any tortellini pasta of your desired fillings and shape, you can use precooked tortellini pasta so you don't even need to prepare it separately.

Add some red chili pepper flakes to your meal as they add a lot of taste.

To get an additional taste, consider using kale in place of the spinach in this tortellini pasta dish.

Ingredients

250g tortellini pasta

4 cups of baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 finely chopped onion

4 large garlic cloves, minced

6 medium tomatoes, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

500g tomato puree

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons Italian dried herbs

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes - optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

In a large saucepan, heat some oil over medium heat, add onion, and sauté until soft, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, Italian herbs/seasoning of choice, and chili flakes if using.

Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes, or until their juices released have blended with the other ingredients.

Add the tomato paste, tomato puree, and chicken stock and stir well.

Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Put the saucepan on low heat, partially cover it with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream and pasta, and cook on medium-low until the pasta is cooked through.

Add the parmesan cheese, spinach, and cilantro then stir until softened.

Serve warm and enjoy.

Conclusion

This meal of spinach tomato tortellini is creamy, flavorful, and has the ideal amount of garlic. It is best served as a full meal, making it the perfect choice for dinner and hosting visitors at home.