Spinach Tortellini Recipe: How to Make Spinach Tortellini
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 22, 2022 • 3 min read
This filled pasta ring lends itself to light, flavorful broths and rich, creamy pasta sauces alike—and tastes especially great when combined with hearty, leafy greens. Here, cheesy spinach tortellini bathes in a creamy spinach sauce dotted with crispy spinach “chips” for texture and extra spinach flavor. The sauce is also all-purpose; feel free to serve it over penne or any of your other favorite pastas. Learn how to make spinach tortellini at home.
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What Is Spinach Tortellini?
Spinach tortellini refers to various spinach-forward pasta dishes, including cheese-stuffed tortellini tossed with sautéed spinach, spinach-filled tortellini, and fresh tortellini made with dough flavored and colored with spinach purée. Originally from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, tortellini is a stuffed pasta shaped into rings, which traditionally gets stuffed with meat and served in brodo (“in broth”). You can find this popular filled pasta in most grocery stores’ frozen and refrigerated sections. Adding a homemade creamy sauce and baby spinach makes for a quick weeknight meal.
3 Tips for Making Spinach Tortellini
Spinach tortellini is simple comfort food that you can customize to create your new favorite pasta recipe: add Italian sausage; incorporate additional flavorings like Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or oregano; add minced garlic; toss it in Alfredo sauce or heavy cream; or top it with diced tomatoes. It can also act as a side dish for an entrée like grilled chicken. Here’s how to make the best tortellini pasta dish at home:
- 1. Make the tortellini from scratch. Making pasta from scratch is a great weekend project that allows you to customize the flavor of your tortellini. If making homemade pasta, seek out 00 flour, which is slightly finer than all-purpose flour. Roll the dough as thinly as possible before folding it into tortellini, avoid overfilling, and seal the edges very well to ensure that the pasta holds together during the cooking process. Also, remember that homemade pasta cooks a bit quicker than store-bought, so be careful not to overcook. Use this sausage tortellini recipe as a guide.
- 2. Add protein. For a heartier dinner, add cooked protein to spinach tortellini. Grilled shrimp, broiled chicken, seared scallops, browned sausage, and sliced steak are all good options. Cook the pasta and the meat separately, bringing them together at the end of cooking.
- 3. Add fresh herbs. Incorporating fresh herbs adds bold color and flavor to any dish. While a creamy sauce can sometimes be overly filling, fresh herbs will help lighten its heaviness, adding a welcome burst of color and herbal flavor to accentuate the dish. Try fresh parsley, basil, or dill.
Easy Spinach Tortellini Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
35 mincook time
20 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
On a baking sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, arrange ¾ cup of spinach leaves in a single layer without overlapping.
- 3
Bake until the leaves curl at the edges and begin to brown. Let cool and crumble. Set the crumbled spinach chips aside.
- 4
In a small pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a simmer.
- 5
Steep the remaining spinach leaves and garlic cloves in the broth until they are pliable and flaccid, about 10 minutes.
- 6
Using an immersion blender, purée the cooked spinach leaves and garlic, adding more broth if needed, until smooth.
- 7
Return the purée to the pot, add the mascarpone and pecorino, and stir until melted. Season the spinach sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg, fennel, and tarragon.
- 8
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- 9
Cook the tortellini according to the package directions.
- 10
Drain the cooked tortellini and return it to the pot.
- 11
Add the spinach sauce to the pot with the tortellini and stir until well coated. Add the grated Parmesan, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes and toss to incorporate.
- 12
Using a ladle, transfer servings of tortellini to the bowls and top with spinach crumbles and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Drizzle high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the pasta, and serve hot.
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