Learning How to Make Homemade Tortellini is so easy once you get the hang of it! Each piece of fresh pasta is stuffed with a creamy ricotta mixture and goes great with just about any sauce! Make a big batch, because it stores well in the freezer and tastes just as good once it has thawed!
Master the step-by-step process for folding and shaping tortellini pasta from scratch, even if you’ve never made filled pasta before. Your whole family can join in – think of it as a culinary experience or a true Italian-inspired night! I’ll teach you which ingredients, tools, and fillings work best so your homemade tortellini turns out tender and flavorful every time.
I am going to be using my homemade pasta dough, which could be made ahead of time, so you don’t have to do everything at once.
All pasta dishes know the way straight to my heart, but this is a favorite because it goes well with just about any sauce like the best marinara you have ever tasted! For a real Italian dinner, start with this easy Italian salad, fried raviolis for the appetizer, your pasta for the main course, a red wine sangria, and top it off with classic cannoli!
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Why You’ll Love Fresh Pasta Tortellini
- Fresh pasta is rich, light, and chewy! There’s no comparison when it comes to store-bought.
- Adds a new experience in the kitchen.
- Can be made ahead of time.
- Freezes and reheats well.
- Uses pantry staples.
🍝 Ingredients:
- Homemade Pasta Dough – A step-by-step guide to make this dough homemade. The dough can be made ahead of time or you can mix it up the same day. Remember that fresh pasta dough needs to rest for a bit before it’s soft and malleable enough to work with and shape. Fresh pasta dough is made from just flour, eggs, and a bit of oil.
- Semolina and/or rice flour for dusting – this type of flour makes the pasta less sticky when rolling, and is very smooth. It also allows the sauce to attach to pasta, infusing more flavor from the sauce. You can substitute All purpose flour, if you need.
- Ricotta cheese – for that creamy filling, use your favorite brand
- Grated parmesan cheese – try to use fresh, it makes a big difference!
- Sea salt – enhances the flavors
- Coarse black pepper – adds that great spice flavor
- Parsley – for inside the tortellini and garnish
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Special Equipment Needed:
- Pasta Roller – I do love appliances and kitchen tools and having a pasta roller around is sure convenient. It rolls out the dough easily and evenly. I wouldn’t go back to a rolling pin after using this nifty tool. I use the Italian-made Imperia brand, and I think it’s the same machine we used taking cooking classes in Italy! You can find the current model available, the Imperia Pasta Maker Machine through my affiliate link.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of cheese, you can stuff tortellini with meats such as Italian sausage, ground beef or pork.
- Want to make this a vegetarian version? Sauté some onions, mushrooms, and spinach and mix with the cheese filling!
- You can also add some mozzarella cheese into the ricotta cheese mixture!
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Before You Start, keep a damp paper towel or plastic nearby to wrap the dough when you aren’t using it because it tends to dry out quickly. Also, keep a small bowl of water nearby to seal the pasta.
Step 1: Divide the dough into a couple of sections, keeping the other section wrapped. Roll each piece of dough out using a pasta machine or rolling pin so it’s very thin. Use a round cookie cutter to make as many 3-inch circles as possible.
Step 2: Stir together the cheeses and spices.
Step 3: Place a teaspoon of tortellini filling into the center of each circle.
Step 4: Moisten the edges with wet fingers or a pastry brush, and fold in half to create a half-moon shape.
Step 5: Then pinch the ends together to form tortellini. Repeat for the rest of the pasta. Keep your work surface floured as needed so they don’t get sticky.
Step 6: Boil a large pot of salted water over medium heat, and add the tortellini. Cook until they begin to float to the top of the pot. Remove with a slotted spoon.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, cream sauce or a simple toss in olive oil, and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Accompany with a slice of garlic bread!
Tips for How to Make Homemade Tortellini:
- Using a pasta maker machine is much easier for getting the dough thin, but you can use a rolling pin as well.
- If you would like, the dough sheets can be lightly spritzed with water to keep them from drying out. Too much water can also make the dough sticky, so use a fine mist. Keep the dough wrapped in a moist cloth or in a sealed plastic bag to minimize air exposure.
- This pasta also goes great with ham or prosciutto, in soups, or in a simple garlic butter sauce.
Fun Fact
Tortellini was originally only served to rich people prior to the 19th century!
Recipe FAQs
Store the pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days before using. To freeze, once they have been flash frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag to keep them fresh for 3 months.
Yes, this type of pasta is always filled with a blend of cheeses or meat with cheese.
A rich spicy tomato sauce, a creamy Alfredo, or a simple brown butter and sage sauce all pair perfectly with homemade tortellini.
This homemade tortellini recipe is perfect for the freezer. When you have finished assembling the tortellini with their cheese filling, lay them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Freeze through and then store all of the tortellini together in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. When ready to cook, just drop the frozen tortellini pieces straight into the pot of salted, boiling water.
More Irresistible Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Homemade Cheese Tortellini Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
How to Make Homemade Cheese Tortellini (from Scratch)
Ingredients
- ½ recipe Homemade Pasta Dough
- Semolina and/or rice flour for dusting
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese drained
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Divide the pasta dough into 2-3 sections. Work with one section at a time, keeping the remaining sections wrapped.
- Use a rolling pin or a pasta machine to roll the dough as thin as possible. With a pasta machine, roll the dough on gradually smaller settings until you can roll it out on the thinnest setting.
- Use a 3” round biscuit cutter to cut circles out of the rolled dough. Gather the scraps together, re-roll the dough and cut out additional circles. Keep the rounds covered with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to keep everything moist. The dough will dry out quickly. Continue rolling out and cutting the dough.
- Stir together drained ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Place one teaspoon of the ricotta mixture in the center of each circle.
- Use a pastry brush or your finger to moisten around the edge of the circle with water and then fold in half to form a half moon, sealing the filling in the center.
- Fold the two points of the half moon back to meet each other and press the ends together to form the tortellini.
- Continue for the remaining circles. Sprinkle with flour as needed to prevent pasta from sticking to the board or to the other tortellini.
- Cook tortellini in a pot of salted, boiling water until it floats to the top. Or spread in a single layer on parchment paper and freeze; then, transfer to a freezer baggy or storage container and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
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Notes
- Using a pasta machine is much easier for getting the dough thin, but you can use a rolling pin as well.
- If you would like, the dough sheets can be lightly spritzed with water to keep them from drying out or keep under a moist towel or in a plastic bag.
- Serve with Alfredo sauce, rich marinara sauce, or simply toss in browned butter.
- Freeze raw tortellini in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container or zip top bag. Drop frozen tortellini directly into boiling water to cook.
Nutrition
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