Creamy Tomato Tortellini Delight (Print Version)
Tender cheese-filled tortellini in a smooth tomato broth with herbs and a creamy finish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
05 - 2 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Dairy & Pasta
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
→ Seasonings
12 - Salt, to taste
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14 - Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
# How to Cook:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, then add dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to develop flavors.
04 - Add cheese tortellini to the pot and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
05 - Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan. Warm for 2–3 minutes without boiling to blend the flavors.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like someone who knows you cooked it, without any of the fuss or long ingredient lists.
- Thirty-five minutes from bare pot to spoon hitting bowl, and somehow it feels like you've been simmering all day.
- The kind of soup that makes people ask for seconds even though they thought they weren't that hungry.
02 -
- Don't boil the soup after you add the cream—it will split and separate and suddenly look broken, so keep your heat gentle and your attention steady.
- Taste the broth before adding tortellini because that's your last chance to fix the seasonings; once the pasta is in, you're just correcting, not building.
03 -
- Keep your cream at room temperature before stirring it in—cold cream can seize up against hot soup and separate instead of melting.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan from a block, never the pre-grated stuff in a shaker; it melts like velvet instead of clumping.