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Tortellini Primavera Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Tortellini Primavera is a vibrant Italian pasta dish featuring tender cheese-filled tortellini tossed with fresh seasonal vegetables in a light cream and white wine sauce. This elegant yet simple preparation celebrates spring vegetables while maintaining the rich, delicate flavor of quality tortellini, making it an ideal weeknight dinner or dinner party entrée.

Ingredients

• 400g fresh or frozen tortellini
• 200g asparagus spears, cut into 5cm pieces
• 150g baby zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 150g baby carrots, halved lengthwise
• 100g fresh peas or frozen peas
• 150ml heavy cream (35% fat)
• 120ml dry white wine
• 30g butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 120ml vegetable broth
• 50g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions until they float to the surface and are tender, approximately 3-4 minutes for fresh or 4-5 minutes for frozen. Reserve 240ml of pasta cooking water, then drain tortellini in a colander.

2. While water heats, heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once foaming, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Add asparagus, carrots, and zucchini to the pan. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and develop light golden edges.

4. Pour white wine into the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any flavorful browned bits. Let wine reduce by half, approximately 2 minutes.

5. Add vegetable broth, peas, and fresh thyme. Stir well and simmer for 2 minutes to warm peas and allow flavors to meld.

6. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream. Gently bring to a light simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

7. Add cooked tortellini to the cream sauce and gently toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a light, flowing consistency. Cook for 1 minute to warm tortellini throughout.

8. Remove pan from heat. Stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Substitutions

• Use half-and-half or whole milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter sauce with less fat
• Replace some cream with Greek yogurt (added after removing from heat) for tanginess and reduced calories
• Substitute any combination of seasonal vegetables such as bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, or green beans according to availability
• Use vegetable broth entirely and omit wine for an alcohol-free version

Tips

• Reserve pasta water before draining—the starch helps the sauce adhere to tortellini and creates a silky texture without needing more cream
• Cut vegetables into uniform sizes so they cook evenly and create an attractive presentation
• Do not overcook tortellini before mixing into sauce as it will continue softening in the cream sauce; aim for al dente
• Taste and adjust seasoning carefully, as both Parmigiano-Reggiano and pasta water contain salt

Tortellini Primavera represents the Italian spring cooking tradition (cucina di primavera), where fresh seasonal vegetables are combined with pasta in simple preparations that let ingredient quality shine. This dish evolved as a lighter interpretation of heavier cream sauces, embodying the modern Italian philosophy of balancing tradition with seasonal, vegetable-forward cooking.

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