Creamy tortellini with ham and peas.
Tortellini with ham and peas is a very popular creamy pasta recipe in Italy and in other countries. It’s quick and easy to make and loved by children and adults alike. Perfect for after school meals and family lunches. Also a great recipe to use u leftover holiday ham (and peas!).
Servings: 4
Calories: 776kcal
Equipment
- 1 deep frying pan big enough to hold the tortellini and the sauce together
- 1 large pot to cook pasta in.
Ingredients
- 1.1 pounds fresh tortellini I use spinach and ricotta tortellini
- 7 ounces cooked ham cut into cubes
- 7 ounces peas fresh, frozen or canned. I used frozen.
- 1 onion or shallot peeled and finely chopped
- 2 pints broth (vegetable, beef or chicken) you can also use water to cook the pasta
- 2 ounces Parmigiano or Grana cheese freshly grated (optional)
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 7 Fluid ounces fresh cream
Instructions
- Once you have gathered your ingredients just cut the ham into small cubes and peel and finely chop the onion.
- Sauté the onion in olive oil until it starts to soften. Then add the peas and cook them with the onion for a couple of minutes.
- Next add 2-3 ladles of broth and let the peas simmer for around 10 minutes. Then, add the cubed ham and continue cooking for a minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Now, pour in the cream and let it simmer on a low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the liquid has thickened.
- While the ham, peas and cream are cooking bring the broth to a simmer and add the tortellini. When the pasta rises to the surface remove it with a slotted spoon and add it to the sauce.
- Mix the tortellini well with the ham, peas and cream. Serve with grated Parmigiano if required.
Notes
To make this tortellini recipe vegetarian just omit the ham and use a vegetarian parmesan when serving if required.
You can replace the cooked ham with Italian prosciutto crudo, pancetta or bacon. I would suggest frying these meats with the onions before adding the peas. Instead of meat, add some vegetables such as mushrooms.
You can use different shapes and sizes of tortellini such as cappelletti or anolini. You can also use ravioli with meat filling, or with ricotta and spinach. Alternatively, if you don't like stuffed pasta, the cream, ham and peas sauce will also be perfect on pasta tubes like penne, or farfalle or spaghetti.
For info about leftovers see main content.
Nutrition
Calories: 776kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 1359mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1252IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 400mg | Iron: 5mg