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A bowl filled with Tortellini alla Panna
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5 from 9 votes

Tortellini alla Panna with Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese

Make this Tortellini alla Panna recipe in less than 30 minutes! It’s an ultra creamy pasta dish with loads of hearty and fresh flavors, guaranteed to be loved by everyone!
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 738kcal

Ingredients

  • 19 oz Fresh tortellini frozen or refrigerated
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 3 Cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoon Fresh basil chopped
  • 2 teaspoon Fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated - may use Pecorino Romano instead.
  • cup Peas frozen
  • 1 ounce Prosciutto cut into bite size pieces
  • Nutmeg lightly grated - a pinch
  • Black Pepper Q.B. (Quanto Basta) - to taste

Instructions

  • On the stove bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, add butter to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted add the minced garlic to it and sauté for 1 minutes.
  • Add the cream to the butter and mix in the nutmeg, black pepper, basil, and parsley.
  • Stir often as the cream heats and starts to thicken. Adjust the temperature so that the sauce doesn't reach the boiling point or that it bubbles too much.
  • Once the water pot is boiling, add a bit of salt to the water then the frozen tortellini. Cook according to package directions, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the frozen peas to the pasta water when there's 1 minute remaining of tortellini cook time.
  • Drain the water and return the tortellini and peas to the pot. Set aside.
  • Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the skillet with the sauce one-half at a time, stirring well after each addition so that it melts.
  • Once the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened, add the cooked tortellini, peas, and the cut up prosciutto. Stir to evenly coat.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • It should only take 3 minutes or so to cook the frozen tortellini so be sure not to overcook them. The tortellini will also continue to cook when combined with the warm cream sauce. 
  • If your cheese sauce is too thick for any reason, whisk in a little milk until you achieve the desired consistency.
  • Always shred your parmesan cheese from a block as it melts much better than pre-shredded cheese and also tastes better!
  • Easily double this recipe when feeding a crowd. You may need a larger skillet when increasing the recipe. 
  • You can speed up the boiling of the pasta water by adding hot tap water to the pot. This may help with timing the sauce with the cooked tortellini, neither of which you want sitting around losing heat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 738kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 849mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1162IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 386mg | Iron: 4mg