Description
This Homemade Three Cheese Tortellini recipe combines a silky, fresh pasta dough with a creamy and flavorful filling of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses, enhanced with aromatic dried basil and parsley. Perfectly shaped and cooked al dente, these tortellini are then finished with a simple garlic butter sauce, delivering a classic Italian pasta dish that’s both comforting and elegant.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Dough
- ½ pound (about 1 ¾ cups) all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water (plus extra if needed)
Filling
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- Salt, for boiling water
Instructions
- Prepare the Pasta Dough: Place the flour in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Whisk together the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water. With the food processor running, slowly add the egg mixture through the spout until the dough begins to form a ball, then turn off the processor.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until silky and smooth. Adjust with extra water or flour if the dough is too dry or sticky. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes, or refrigerate if not using immediately.
- Make the Filling: While the dough rests, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, dried basil, and dried parsley in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Roll Out the Dough: Divide the dough into three pieces. Lightly flour each piece and roll through a pasta roller starting at the thickest setting. Fold in thirds and roll again, repeating this three times for elasticity. Then gradually roll through each thinner setting until reaching the thinnest setting.
- Cut and Fill Tortellini: Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut pasta circles. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. Moisten the edges with water, fold over to make half-moons, and then shape into tortellini by wrapping the corners around each other and pressing firmly to seal. Place shaped tortellini on a heavily floured surface.
- Cook the Tortellini: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook for about 5 minutes or until they float and are tender but firm to the bite. Drain well.
- Prepare Garlic Butter Sauce: While the tortellini cooks, melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Serve: Drizzle the garlic butter over the drained tortellini and serve immediately while warm and fresh.
Notes
- If dough is difficult to work with, let it rest longer to relax the gluten.
- Use freshly grated parmesan for best flavor in filling.
- You can substitute fresh basil and parsley for dried if available, increasing the quantity to 1 tablespoon fresh basil and 1 teaspoon fresh parsley.
- Tortellini can be frozen after shaping; freeze on a tray then transfer to airtight bags.
- Ensure water is well salted to enhance pasta flavor while boiling.
- Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese on the side.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling and sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 8-10 tortellini)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg
Keywords: three cheese tortellini, homemade pasta, ricotta tortellini, Italian pasta recipe, cheese filling, fresh pasta, garlic butter sauce
