Have you ever wondered if you can add ricotta to tomato sauce? Absolutely! This Easy Tortellini Recipe is the perfect example. A simple pasta dish with such great flavors!
Who can resist pasta dishes filled with homemade ricotta cheese?
Whether making these Italian stuffed shells or these spinach lasagna roll-ups, the light and fresh flavor of ricotta pairs so well with pasta.
But did you know that you can also use ricotta as a pasta sauce as well as mix it together with passata?
This trattoria-style Italian home-cooked meal for cavatelli with tomato ricotta sauce is a perfect example.
Since you may not always have the time to make your own cavatelli, I wanted to share with you a similar dish you can make with frozen (or fresh) stuffed tortellini.
Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes with this easy pasta supper. You will want to use a spoon to scoop up every last bit of this delicious dish.
Come and take a look at how easy this is to make.
Instructions
For this dish, you need a tomato or marinara sauce.
You will need approximately 3-3½ cups. I used half of the amount of my quick tomato sauce recipe.
If it is more convenient for you, use your favorite commercial brand.
Boil the Tortellini: Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add two teaspoons of salt and 300 grams (about 10 ounces) of cheese tortellini.
Cook according to the package instructions. Taste to make sure they are properly cooked.
Add the room temperature ricotta cheese (1 cup) to the tomato passata sauce and gently heat together for one minute.
Turn off the heat.
Drain the tortellini and combine gently together. Remember to save about 1 cup of water. If the Pomodoro sauce is too thick, use some of it to thin it out.
Add 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley. Mix to combine.
Serve immediately.
If desired, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and extra grated cheese.
Serve with your favorite Italian Salad and a side of zucchini sticks.
Tips
- If making your own sauce from scratch, taste throughout the preparation and adjust accordingly.
- Before removing the tortellini, taste them to make sure they are properly cooked.
- If the sauce is too thick, even after the addition of the ricotta, use a little bit of the pasta water to thin it out.
- Feel free to add more (or less) ricotta to your sauce according to your personnel preference.
Delicious pasta recipes we love
- Baked Pasta Dish
- Penne all’Arrabbiata
- Pasta and Lentils
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette Pasta
- Sauteed Broccoli and Cavatelli Recipe
- Spaghetti Pasta Recipe
Recipe origins
Growing up Italian meant that we would have pasta at least three times a week.
My mom would refer to this meal as Pasta con ricotta e pomodoro.
As you can probably guess, this translates into pasta with ricotta and tomatoes.
As a kid, I would love to watch my mom swirl the creamy ricotta into the red sauce. Right before my eyes, it was transformed into a pot of pink sauce!
If you would like to see how easy it is to make this dish, head on over to YouTube. Just click on the following link and be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel as my friend Carlo and I plan to share more wonderful recipes with all of you!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this easy pasta recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Easy Tortellini Recipe with Creamy Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
- ½ Tomato Sauce recipe 3-3½ cups
- 300 grams cheese tortellini fresh or frozen, 3 cups, approximately 10 ounces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup ricotta about 8 ounces or 250 grams, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese grated, plus more to garnish
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley fresh, chopped
Topping:
- Italian flat-leaf parsley to garnish, fresh, chopped
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce. If it is more convenient for you, use your favorite commercial brand.
- Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and the tortellini.
- Cook according to the package instructions. Taste to make sure they are done.
To Assemble:
- Add the room temperature ricotta cheese to the sauce and gently heat together for one minute.
- Turn off the heat.
- Gently add the drained cheese tortellini to the ricotta mixture.
- Add the grated cheese and the chopped parsley. Mix to combine.
- Serve immediately.
- If desired, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and extra grated cheese.
Notes
- If making your own tomato sauce from scratch, taste throughout the preparation and adjust accordingly.
- Before removing the tortellini, taste them to make sure they are properly cooked.
- If the sauce is too thick, even after the addition of the ricotta, use a little bit of the pasta water to thin it out.
- Feel free to add more (or less) ricotta to your sauce according to your personnel preference.
Nutrition
Susan Smith
Hello! This was a delicious and quick meal for dinner.. thank you for sharing! Susan
Maria
My pleasure Susan! Thank you so much for sharing!
Val
This looks like the perfect weeknight supper! Thanks Maria!
Maria
My pleasure Val! I hope you get a chance to try it!