Three cheeses team up with fresh herbs and seasonings and get wrapped in ultra-soft wrappers in this homemade cheese tortellini. If you've never made pasta from scratch before, you NEED to try this recipe.
Making homemade tortellini is actually easier than you'd think. And yeah, it's one of those recipes that is a labor of love (just like my vegetable bouillon cubes) but is absolutely worth it.
If you're a fan of meal-prepping (like I am), and like to batch-make essentials over the weekends to make your weekday meals a bit easier, you're going to love this recipe.
Freeze a big batch of these homemade tortellini to use throughout the week in simple recipes. Whip up a quick 5 minute lemon poppy seed dressing or some buttery lemon caper sauce to team up with a handful of these cooked tortellini and a bowl of salad veggies- the easiest weekday lunch ever!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about the recipe has to be it flavor! I never knew how fresh pasta can taste SO much better than regular, packaged pasta. Plus, you also get to control the taste and filling to your liking, which is another big plus!
Recipe Ingredients
All purpose flour: To make the dough for the tortellini wrappers. You can also use gluten free flour if you want to.
Egg: For the filling and the dough for the wrappers. Egg adds such a beautiful rich flavor to the filling and helps make the dough soft.
Garlic: For the savory flavor. Use roasted garlic if you want a bit of that smoky aroma.
Cheese: I used a mix of three cheeses here- Ricotta, Parmesan and Asiago cheese.
Green onions: For that pungent kick.
Basil: For that fresh, herby deliciousness.
Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. You can also use an infused salt like parsley garlic salt or Italian herb salt for extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese – Enhance your pastas, pizzas, seafood, salads and more with the bold taste of Kraft grated cheese. At 20 calories per serving, this cheese is sure to add a flavor kick to your favorite meals at any occasion.
Substitutions & Variations
- Experiment with different fillings and mix-ins to tweak the tortellini to your liking. Sometimes, when I don't want to use just cheese, I use my leftover homemade spicy Italian sausage as the filling.
- You can also use a seasoning blend like homemade garlic bread seasoning or a mixed herb seasoning to amp up the flavor of the filling.
- If you don't have Ricotta cheese, use some blended cottage cheese instead.
How to Make Homemade Cheese Tortellini
Step 1: In a bowl, combine all the cheeses, chopped basil and green onions, an egg and the seasonings.
Step 2: Mix well until you get a uniform filling.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, all purpose flour and some salt.
Step 4: Knead this into a soft, pliable dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Roll the dough out into a thin sheet and use a round cutter to make the wrappers for the tortellini.
Step 6: Place a spoonful of the mixture into the center of each tortellini wrapper.
Step 7: Wet the edges and fold the tortellini into a half moon shape, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Bring both the corners together and press tightly to seal again.
Step 8: Place these prepared tortellini on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use immediately or store for later.
💭Top Tip
Make sure you allow the dough to rest before you roll it out. This extra 30 minutes will help improve the elasticity of the dough.
How to Store Leftover Homemade Cheese Tortellini
Store your leftover cooked homemade tortellini in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container. If you want it to last longer, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe bag, and then use it directly from the freezer- you don't even need to thaw it.
This kitchen & pantry organizers and storage set comes with 24 containers, they are inlaid together, so at first glance you may think there is only the same size, but when you take it apart, you will find FOUR different sizes(Include 6Pcs 0.8L+6Pcs 1.4L+6Pcs 2L+6Pcs 2.8L ).
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Avoid overstuffing your tortellini. You might be tempted to fill up the wrappers with a lot of that delicious filling, but that will only make it difficult for you to seal the edges.
- Start with about a teaspoon of the mixture in each wrapper. Overfilling the tortellini will cause them to fall apart when you cook them.
- Add other mix-ins like chopped sundried or oven dried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms or even some chopped spinach.
- Make sure you roll out the dough into a sheet that is even in thickness. You can use a pasta machine to do this if you have one.
- I used a 2 inch cookie cutter to make the wrapper rounds. If you don't have one, you can just cut out square wrappers using a sharp knife.
How to Serve the Homemade Tortellini
Add your fresh or frozen homemade cheese tortellini directly into your soups to bulk them up, or cook and toss them in a simple pasta sauce like my cashew basil Pesto, basil Gremolata or some Pesto butter. I really love using my garlic butter lemon sauce for this recipe!
Sometimes, I just keep it simple and team it up with my tomato Passata, a drizzle of my spicy Italian oil and lots of Pangrattato on the top. You can also pair it with some cherry tomato confit or my favorite oven roasted Italian peppers to make it a hearty, wholesome dish.
Recipe FAQs
Once you start assembling the tortellini, make sure you keep them covered with cling wrap or a damp cloth to keep them moist. If they dry up, they'll be more likely to crack.
You absolutely can! First, arrange them on a plate or a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours until they're solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag or a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
This fresh homemade tortellini usually takes about 4 minutes to cook. Boil it in salted water until they begin to float on the top, drain and use them as you want to.
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If you tried this homemade cheese Tortellini or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Cheese Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Asiago cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon basil chopped
- 1-2 garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all the cheeses, chopped basil and green onions, an egg and the seasonings.
- Mix well until you get a uniform filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, all purpose flour and some salt.
- Knead this into a soft, pliable dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a thin sheet and use a round cutter to make the wrappers for the tortellini.
- Place a spoonful of the mixture into the center of each tortellini wrapper.
- Wet the edges and fold the tortellini into a half moon shape, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Bring both the corners together and press tightly to seal again.
- Place these prepared tortellini on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use immediately or store for later.
Notes
- Avoid overstuffing your tortellini. You might be tempted to fill up the wrappers with a lot of that delicious filling, but that will only make it difficult for you to seal the edges.
- Start with about a teaspoon of the mixture in each wrapper. Overfilling the tortellini will cause them to fall apart when you cook them.
- Add other mix-ins like chopped sundried or oven dried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms or even some chopped spinach.
- Make sure you roll out the dough into a sheet that is even in thickness. You can use a pasta machine to do this if you have one.
- I used a 2 inch cookie cutter to make the wrapper rounds. If you don't have one, you can just cut out square wrappers using a sharp knife.
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