As fancy as it sounds, I never had the slightest clue as to what tortellini were a few years ago, not after I stumbled upon the recipe and decided to try it out since I always took an interest in trying out food recipes new to me. To cut a long story short, it was pretty great, I tell you! and today, I’m going to be sharing with you the basic cooking tricks and turns to remember when cooking tortellini pasta to an Al dente.
Tortellini, on the other hand, is a kind of ring-shaped variety of pasta that originally came from a region of Northern Italy. Served with different cheese toppings and sauce, this is one pasta recipe that isn’t very simple and fast to make from scratch. Hence the frozen and dried versions of it make for a 30 minutes meal. Don’t just skim through; make sure to take note of the necessary cooking information down below.
Tortellini Nutrition Facts
Cooking Tips for Frozen Tortellini
To get a perfectly cooked Al dente tortellini, the following cooking guidelines and tips have been provided below:
Seasoning tortellini in tomato soup – Although frozen and dried tortellini comes with its own flavors, you might want to cook yours with extra seasonings like salt, olive oil, pesto, or tomato sauce (homemade or purchased) as desired. Just mix all the ingredients together and cook the tortellini in the tomato sauce. Chicken broth also works fine too if you don’t want to use tomato sauce.
Different Cooking methods – The following are some of the cooking methods you can implore when preparing frozen tortellini:
Boiling: This remains the most popular foolproof method that gets the job done incredibly fast. The steps are pretty easy; all you’re expected to do is:
- Get a large pot filled with about half a gallon of water and bring it to a boil on high heat. You can add a few tablespoons of seasoning salt and olive oil (optional) to add more flavors to the tortellini. To prevent your tortellini from breaking open or sticking to each other, place them on a large wooden spoon and submerge them into the pot of boiling water.
- Occasionally stir them halfway through cooking, so they don’t stick to each other. Read the cooking instructions on the back of the packaging for clarity and cook time; some packages might recommend 10 to 12 minutes or less to cook. An easy way you’ll know if it’s ready is by using a spoon to take out a piece or two; if it cuts easily with a fork, then it’s done. Afterward, collect tortellini with a slotted spoon from the pot of water. Serve on a plate with some parmesan cheese or hot sauce.
Oven-baked – This method is great, especially if you’re cooking some frozen tortellini, since it will still give you the yummy result you expect. Just start by:
- Preheating the oven to a temperature of 370°F. In a clean bowl, make a mixture of tomato sauce using some water, salt, ground peppers, and a few tablespoons of shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
- Carefully pour the tomato mixture into a baking dish and add your frozen tortellini. Grab an aluminum foil and cover the baking dish. Bake evenly in preheated oven for the set cook time.
- Remove the pan and uncover the tortellini pasta, generously sprinkling some shredded cheese for an additional taste, and bake for a few more minutes until the cheese is fully melted. Remove and serve as desired.
Microwaving – Here’s another quick way to prepare frozen tortellini effortlessly. If you’ve got a microwave, just follow these easy steps below:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, place your frozen tortellini and add half a cup of water. Then add a tablespoon of tomato sauce (optional) and cover the bowl with a plastic cooking wrap.
- Cook for 3 minutes over high heat, occasionally stirring the tortellini to avoid sticking and cook for an additional 2 minutes. After that, remove and allow it to cool off for 2 minutes before serving.
Cooking in an instant pot – Cooking frozen tortellini can be more fun than you think. If you’re using an instant pot, here’s what you need to do:
- Add just a cup of water to the instant pot, set at a high press, and place the frozen tortellini in. To increase the cooking pressure, note that the quantity of water should not be more or less than a cup, even if you’re half the bag of tortellini.
- Cook tortellini in an instant pot for 2 minutes or more, depending on your preferences. Immediately after the time for cooking is elapsed, remember to do a quick pressure release and drain tortellini if there’s any leftover liquid in the instant pot. Serve with your favorite cheese toppings and pasta sauce.
You can stir-fry tortellini – You can also use either fresh or frozen vegetables to stir-fry the frozen tortellini in an Al dente style, and this is just another creative way to serve your tortellini.
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Cooking Time for Frozen Tortellini
The appropriate cooking time for preparing frozen tortellini using various methods has been stated below, which would enable your recipe to turn out just right:
| Cooking procedures | Cooking time |
| Boiling frozen tortellini over high heat | 6 to 12 minutes |
| Oven-baked frozen tortellini at 370°F | 30 minutes and an additional 7 to 10 minutes |
| Cooking frozen tortellini in the microwave over high heat | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Cooking frozen tortellini in an instant pot over high pressure | 2 to 4 minutes |
Oven-baked frozen tortellini (3 to 5 servings)
Ingredients
- 10 oz pasta frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 tbsp of salt (optional)
- 1 tbsp of bell or black peppers
- 2 cups of tomato sauce
- 2 tbsps of chopped parsley for garnish
- Italian sausage for garnish
- 2 to 3 tbsps of shredded cheese (parmesan/mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and set out to cook frozen tortellini in a pot of boiling water according to the directions on the package (6-10, 10-12 minutes).
- Remove tortellini and combine your tomato sauce and other spices together in a bowl. Thoroughly mix together and pour into a baking or casserole dish. Add in the tortellini, top it with some grated cheese, and place in the oven.
- Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. If desired, uncover your pan and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and bake for 7 to 10 minutes more until the cheese is fully melted. Remove the baked tortellini and serve with sprinkled parsley and sausages.
So there you go! no matter the cooking methods you decide to use, frozen or dried tortellini always come out incredibly great when prepared. For more insightful information on the simplest ways to cook frozen tortellini, just check out more video recipes.