Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini con Crema

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 13 comments

I LOVE pasta. I will always LOVE pasta; so thank goodness there are so many different types of pastas to satisfy my pasta addiction. Thank goodness that I have 3 bambinos to run around after to work it off! LOL.

Tortellini is such a fun pasta. It is its own small, sweet, delicious little package – just waiting for you to open it and discover what’s inside. You can stuff it with a myriad of fillings & the toppings are just as varied. For this recipe I chose a very traditional spinach & ricotta with cream sauce.

I like to saute’ the spinach (with garlic of course) to flavor it. You HAVE to strain the spinach afterwards to remove all the liquid. You don’t want excess liquid. When making your cream sauce, taste as you go, the sour cream will make it very acidic so go lightly on that. Find your balance. If you want your sauce thicker just add more parmigiano reggiano (remember quality ingredients make quality food. So splurge on the real deal). These freeze beautifully as well. Just flash freeze them on a baking sheet first & then put them into a freezer bag for the next time you’ve got a pasta craving. Using the wonton wrappers is a quick & convenient alternative if you don’t have time to make your own dough & yes, you can rest easy there will be many more variations of this recipe to come!

Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini con Crema
1 large package fresh spinach
1 package wonton wrappers
1 small container of whole ricotta cheese
1 clove fresh pressed garlic
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese – grated
s/p
extra virgin olive oil

Cream sauce:
1 small container sour cream
1 small container heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese – grated

In a medium size pan over medium heat add a few turns of olive oil to the pan. Add garlic and stir. Add in spinach leaves. Season with s/p to taste & continue to cook until wilted. This will be just a few minutes. Transfer your cooked spinach into a strainer to remove all liquid. While this is straining, place a large pasta pot (if you’re looking for a good one, try this oval one) filled with water (salted generously) onto boil.

In a bowl, add your strained spinach & half of the container of ricotta cheese. Stir & season with s/p to taste. Grate 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese over the spinach mixture & mix together.

To assemble Tortellini: Place a small dollop of spinach mixture in center of wrapper. Moisten the edges with water. Fold the wrapper into a triangle. Pressing down to remove all air & seal well. Fold the two sides into each other & secure with water (see Ginger Pork Dumplings for step by step diagram). Continue until all wrappers are assembled.

To cook Tortellini:Place Tortellini into the boiling water. Be careful not to crowd the pot. You will have to do multiple batches. Cook roughly 4-5 minutes until Tortellini rises to the top & floats. Remove Tortellini from water, strain & place into cream sauce. Garnish with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese & pepper!

To make cream sauce:In a small saute pan over medium-low heat, add your small container of heavy whipping cream & half of the container of sour cream. Stir. Add in 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese. Stir and cook until thickens. Season with s/p to taste.

Buon Appetito!