This tortellini alla panna or "tortellini with cream" is a rich and comforting pasta dish made with prosciutto and peas. Best of all it can be prepared in under 20 minutes.
If you're craving some delicious comfort food, you can never go wrong with pasta - from penne al baffo to tortellini bolognese to pasta alla zozzona to spicy rigatoni to spaghetti alla Nerano.
And this tortellini alla panna is the latest and greatest. Anything with cream is better. Add in some crispy prosciutto and bright green peas and you have the perfect dish.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple - as with most traditional Italian dishes, you use a minimal amount of ingredients that generate a ton of flavor.
- Quick to prepare - you can have this dish from start to the dinner table in under 20 minutes.
- Flavorful - you get pops of saltiness from the prosciutto and sweet/savory notes from the peas and of course creaminess from the sauce.
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Ingredient Notes
- Tortellini - use cheese tortellini as it works perfectly with the cream sauce. You can really step up your game and make your own, but store-bought is fine.
- Sauce - this is a pretty traditional cream sauce which consists of butter, cream and Parmesan cheese. You get some added flavor from the shallots.
- Prosciutto - has just the right amount of salt to enhance the dish. Also adds texture.
- Peas - adds some brightness and bursts of sweetness to the pasta dish.
Ingredient Swaps
While this recipe is pretty perfect, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- It is called tortellini alla panna for a reason, but you can use any pasta you like - from pappardelle to rigatoni to orecchiette to ravioli.
- Shallots are my go-to here , but sweet, white, yellow or red onions will work as well. They all high slightly different flavors.
- While prosciutto is traditional for this recipe, you can also use ham or speck.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat, cooking the shallot and prosciutto.
Add in the cream, salt and pepper, simmering for another minute.
Add ½ of the cheese to the sauce, mixing until melted through.
Stir in the tortellini and peas, tossing a couple of times before adding the remaining cheese. Add some pasta water if needed.
FAQs
Contrary to what us Americans think of Alfredo sauce, a traditional alfredo sauce comprises just butter and Parmesan cheese. Alla panna adds cream to it.
It will last about 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
No. Since cream is involved, it doesn't freeze well.
My preferred method is placing the leftover pasta in a skillet with a splash of water. Cook on medium-low until heated through.
You can also microwave. Place in a microwave-proof bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute or until heated through.
Variations
While I like the dish as is, you can customize this recipe to your preference. Some variations include:
- Pasta - while tortellini is my go-to, ravioli works too or another pasta like rigatoni.
- Protein - prosciutto is traditional but you can use other proteins like shrimp, calamari or chicken.
- Veggies - peas are great, but asparagus, broccoli or peppers would complement the sauce as well.
- Texture - some toasted breadcrumbs or pine nuts can add great texture and flavor.
Side Dish Suggestions
While this recipe is perfect on its own. You can serve with a variety of sides including:
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the tortellini alla panna turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Dutch oven - you want something large enough to cook the sauce.
- Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Cheese grater - I mentioned multiple time but use a cheese block and grate yourself.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- DO NOT overcook the tortellini when boiling. You want it just al dente or slightly under. It continues to cook with the sauce.
- Use a high fat content cream as it thickens when it cooks so you don't need a roux.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
- If omitting the prosciutto, add additional salt to the dish.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this tortellini alla panna recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Tortellini alla Panna
Ingredients
- 1 lb tortellini
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 4 oz prosciutto, chopped
- 1 cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions in salted water. Save ½ cup of pasta water.
- In a large saucepan, add butter, chopped shallot and prosciutto over medium heat, cooking 3 minutes. Add the cream, salt and pepper and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add ½ of the Parmesan to the sauce and mix until melted through. Add the cooked tortellini and peas to the sauce. Toss a couple of times and add the remaining Parmesan, tossing to combine. If sauce is dry, add pasta water 2 tablespoon at a time until it is smooth.
- Sprinkle some chopped Italian parsley and more Parmesan on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- DO NOT overcook the tortellini when boiling. You want it just al dente or slightly under. It continues to cook with the sauce.
- Use a high fat content cream as it thickens when it cooks so you don't need a roux.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
- If omitting the prosciutto, add additional salt to the dish.
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