This creamy and hearty Tortellini alla Panna is the perfect weeknight dish to make that will satisfy the whole family plus it’s ready in only 35 minutes!
I’m all about finding new things to make for dinner or taking a few classics and combining them to make a new epic dish like this Tortellini alla Panna!
I’ve been making this Tortellini alla Panna for years and I love when it makes its way back into our weeknight dinner rotation. It’s easy, filling, and I know that everyone is going to love it.
Dinners where nobody whines about anything and leaves the dinner table with a fully belly is something I can really get behind. Especially when it involves pasta, always a winner.
Making anything with a creamy homemade white sauce is always a winner. I know that anytime I make this dish or my favorite Tortellini Alfredo, dinner is always going to be a hit.
I mean how can you go wrong? So delicious and easy, and this Tortellini alla Panna is like the best of both of those dishes all combined into one. Trust me, you won’t regret making this yummy recipe.
If you are a pasta fan and want to make something simple, hearty and absolutely delicious, then you cannot pass up this Tortellini alla Panna!
Some of our other favorite pasta recipes we have on our site include: Lemon Ricotta Pasta, One Pot Cajun Pasta and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- You can double this recipe to feed more people easily!
- Ready in only 35 minutes.
- Only need 10 common ingredients needed.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM):
Cheese tortellini
Cubed ham
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
Garlic bouillon base
Butter
Cinnamon
Pasta water
Salt and pepper
Parsley
HOW TO MAKE TORTELLINI ALLA PANNA, STEP BY STEP:
- Bring a dutch oven or large, heavy pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to the instructions on the package.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk in the garlic bouillon base and ground cinnamon. The butter sauce will begin to thicken and bubble as it cooks.
- Add the chopped ham to the butter sauce.
- Heat it through, browning the ham slightly on both sides.
- Drain the tortellini, reserving ยฝ a cup of pasta water to use later.
- Slowly add the pasta water and heavy cream to the saucepan with the ham and butter sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and de-glazing the bottom of the pan it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and carefully and slowly add 1ยฝ cups of finely grated parmesan cheese to the saucepan. Stir it in until it melts and it is all fully combined.
- Add in the cooked tortellini and carefully toss to coat the pasta.
- Sprinkle the remaining ยฝ cup of parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top as garnish.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
WHAT IS TORTELLINI ALLA PANNA?
Tortellini is a classic Italian stuffed pasta. Panna means cream sauce. So this Tortellini Alla Panna means stuffed pasta in cream sauce.
It is similar to what Americans know as Pasta Alfredo, in that it has a cream sauce that can have additional ingredients added to it over a form of pasta.
CAN I USE DELI HAM?
I don’t recommend using deli ham since it’s sliced so thin. You can either get pre cooked cubed ham or cut some cooked ham off a spiral cooked ham and add it to this recipe.
WHY ISN’T MY CHEESE MELTING?
This isn’t usually a problem if you grate your own cheese. I highly suggest grating your own cheese anyway when making anything on the stovetop as it really adds a nice fresh and creamy touch.
I don’t recommend using pre-shredded cheese since they usually contain preservatives and won’t melt and break down easily. So, if you’re having trouble with your cheese, check to make sure that you’re grating your own fresh cheese.
HOW TO STORE:
This Tortellini alla Panna is one of those dishes that is best when you first make it because of the cream sauce.
If you want to save the leftovers, you can by putting them in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 days.
If you want to try to reheat it, I recommend using the stove top and adding a few tablespoons of heavy cream or milk and slowly warming it back up.
The sauce will stick to the pasta, that’s why I say to add some heavy cream. And you’ll want to heat all of the leftovers at once, not break them up into smaller portions.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can use frozen or pre made tortellini, and if you have the patience and talent for it, you can make your own!
- Make sure to deglaze the saucepan as you go along so everything incorporates nicely and doesn’t stick to the pot for too long.
- You can use whatever tortellini you have on hand. It doesn’t matter what it’s stuffed with, they’ll all taste good with this cream sauce.
- Instead of diced ham, you could use bacon chunks or prosciutto if you want a slightly different flavored dish.
- This dish is best when you first make it. Keeping leftovers can be difficult, but you can see my tips above.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Looking for a tasty weeknight meal that the whole family will love and nobody will end up hungry? This easy Tortellini alla Panna is what you need to try.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this TORTELLINI ALLA PANNA or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Tortellini Alla Panna
Ingredients
- 19 ounce bag cheese tortellini frozen or pre-made
- 2 cups cubed ham
- 1 ยฝ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan cheese divided
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic bouillon base
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ cup reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Bring a dutch oven or large, heavy pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to the instructions on the package.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk in the garlic bouillon base and ground cinnamon. The butter sauce will begin to thicken and bubble as it cooks.
- Add the chopped ham to the butter sauce.
- Heat it through, browning the ham slightly on both sides.
- Drain the tortellini, reserving ยฝ a cup of pasta water to use later.
- Slowly add the pasta water and heavy cream to the saucepan with the ham and butter sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and de-glazing the bottom of the pan it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and carefully and slowly add 1ยฝ cups of finely grated parmesan cheese to the saucepan. Stir it in until it melts and it is all fully combined.
- Add in the cooked tortellini and carefully toss to coat the pasta.
- Sprinkle the remaining ยฝ cup of parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top as garnish.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use frozen or pre made tortellini, and if you have the patience and talent for it, you can make your own!
- Make sure to deglaze the saucepan as you go along so everything incorporates nicely and doesn't stick to the pot for too long.ย
- You can use whatever tortellini you have on hand. It doesn't matter what it's stuffed with, they'll all taste good with this cream sauce.ย
- Instead of diced ham, you could use bacon chunks or prosciutto if you want a slightly different flavored dish.ย
- This dish is best when you first make it. Keeping leftovers can be difficult, but you can see my tips above.ย
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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