Spicy Tomato Tortellini
Five-minute red sauce around plump tortellini, finished with chili and cheese.
Ingredients
- 400 g Cheese tortellini
- 400 g Canned tomatoes
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 bunch Basil (optional)
- 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt heavily.
- Thinly slice the garlic.
- Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium. Add the garlic and chili flakes; cook until just golden, 2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes, crushing with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, 8 minutes.
- Drop the tortellini into the boiling water and cook until they just float, about 2 minutes — a shade under the packet time.
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat, loosening with pasta water until glossy.
- Plate, scatter basil and parmesan.
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About Spicy Tomato Tortellini
Spicy tomato tortellini is a fast Italian-style supper built around plump cheese tortellini and a quick pan tomato sauce spiked with chili. It draws on the everyday genius of Italian home cooking, where a simple garlic-and-tomato sauce cooked in the time it takes the pasta to boil turns a package of filled pasta into a proper meal. The tortellini bring their own cheesy richness, so the sauce mainly needs to be bright, garlicky, and gently fiery.
The method is about timing more than skill: garlic and red pepper flakes are gently cooked in olive oil until fragrant, then canned tomatoes go in and reduce into a thickened sauce while the tortellini cook. Tossing the drained pasta straight into the pan lets it soak up the sauce and finish coated rather than merely topped. A scatter of basil and grated Parmesan rounds it out, delivering a warming, lightly spicy bowl in about twenty minutes for a weeknight with almost nothing to clean up.
Spicy Tomato Tortellini: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Spicy Tomato Tortellini?
A serving has about 430 calories — 15.8g protein, 44.5g carbs, 20.9g fat, 4.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Spicy Tomato Tortellini gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Cheese tortellini. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Spicy Tomato Tortellini dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Cheese tortellini, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Spicy Tomato Tortellini?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out basil, parmigiano-reggiano — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Spicy Tomato Tortellini make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.