Cheese Tortellini: How to Make 3-Cheese Tortellini
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Apr 7, 2024 • 4 min read
Learn how to prepare cheese tortellini, a vegetarian take on the classic stuffed pasta. You can serve cheese tortellini as a cheesy main dish or a side dish for a weeknight meal.
Learn From the Best
What Is Cheese Tortellini?
Cheese tortellini is a cheese-filled pasta shaped into rings. Cheese tortellini pasta recipes typically feature a large amount of Parmesan cheese with ricotta as a binder. Alternatively, you can use grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan and a few tablespoons of heavy cream to form a structured paste for filling—this is particularly helpful in making tiny tortellini. For flavor and texture, you can also add a small amount of finely chopped and sautéed veggies, such as zucchini.
The Origin of Tortellini
Hailing from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy—which is also home to celebrated traditional Italian ingredients like Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, and balsamic vinegar of Modena—tortellini is a type of small, ring-shaped pasta traditionally stuffed with a combination of ground meat (like diced mortadella, Italian sausage, and prosciutto), egg, and Parmesan cheese, and sealed in a circular fashion. Local legend states that the shape of tortellini is meant to emulate the navel of the goddess Venus.
While the neighboring cities of Bologna and Modena fight over which was the true birthplace of Tortellini, both areas can agree on the most classic way to serve these pillowy bites of pasta: boiled and served in a bowl of rich brodo (broth). Tortellini pasta can also be tossed in several sauces common to pasta dishes in Italian cuisine, such as bolognese, marinara sauce, alfredo cream sauce, or a simple sauce made from reserved pasta water and butter.
Cheese Ravioli vs. Cheese Tortellini: What’s the Difference?
Cheese tortellini and cheese ravioli are stuffed pasta with versatile applications, but there are three key differences:
- 1. Shape: Fresh tortellini are made by folding individual small pieces of pasta and shaping them into rings. Ravioli are typically round or square, formed by dotting filling equally spaced apart on a pasta sheet, draping a second sheet over the top, and then stamping out individual pieces.
- 2. Texture: Tortellini are typically more dense than ravioli because they have more folds of pasta dough and compact fillings. Tortellini are often served in brothy soups, like a dumpling, while ravioli are often tossed in butter, red pasta sauce, or pesto.
- 3. Fillings: Tortellini are often filled with dense, intensely-flavored fillings of grated hard cheeses to help maintain their structure. You can combine this with ricotta—grated cheese would be too soft by itself.
3-Cheese Tortellini Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
50 mincook time
10 minIngredients
For the cheese filling:
For the tortellini:
- 1
Make the tortellini filling. In a medium bowl, combine the Parmesan, ricotta, pecorino, nutmeg, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of black pepper.
- 2
Mix until very evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate the filling while you prepare the pasta dough.
- 3
To make the pasta dough, mix flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Using your knuckles, create a well in the center of the flour, leaving a thin layer at the bottom of the well.
- 4
Crack 1 egg into the well, and using a fork, whisk the egg until frothy. Add olive oil to the well. Using your other hand, add a little flour into the mixture as you go.
- 5
When the egg-flour mixture is thick enough that it is no longer runny, turn the dough out onto a clean surface and use a bench scraper to cut in the rest of the flour.
- 6
Bring the dough together with your hands, and knead until it forms a smooth ball, about 5–10 minutes. The finished dough should very lightly spring back when pressed with your finger but otherwise hold the indent.
- 7
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 8
When ready to roll out the dough, lightly flour a clean work surface. Using either a rolling pin, a tabletop pasta roller, or a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, roll the dough into a single layer until it is thin, but does not rip. If using a roller attachment, mark the halfway point of the finished ribbon of dough with a paring knife; if using a rolling pin, divide the dough into two halves before rolling.
- 9
Cut the pasta dough into 2-inch squares.
- 10
Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling over the center of each pasta square.
- 11
Dip your finger in water and lightly trace the edges of the pasta to moisten. Fold one corner across to the opposite corner to form a triangle. Press firmly to seal and remove any air bubbles. Draw the bottom two corners together to form a small ring (similar to a kerchief).
- 12
Set on a floured surface baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
- 13
To cook the tortellini, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat.
- 14
Carefully transfer tortellini to the water. Cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until all of the tortellini have popped up to the surface, about 5 minutes (cut into one tortellini to make sure the filling is cooked through and the pasta is al dente).
- 15
Drain the pasta and serve cooked tortellini in warm chicken broth or vegetable broth, or the sauce or soup of your choice and garnish with fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, or both.
- 16
You can freeze tortellini for up to 3 months. After folding, place all of the tortellini on a floured sheet tray without touching each other, and flash freeze for 1 hour. Then transfer tortellini to a freezer bag or container to freeze long-term. Cook straight from frozen in boiling water. The tortellini may take a few minutes longer to bob up to the top.
Note: The total time does not include 30 min of inactive time.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Massimo Bottura, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.