Tortellini alla Panna – An Italian Classic with Ham

Tortellini alla Panna is a simple pasta dish from Italy: filled tortellini, cooked ham and a creamy sauce. A short ingredient list and an uncomplicated method are at the heart of this recipe. I asked my butcher to dice the ham so it would have a little bite alongside the pasta.

What does alla panna mean?

Alla panna means with cream. This Italian classic brings together cream, butter and freshly grated Parmesan. Chunky cooked ham adds a little bite, and freshly grated nutmeg rounds out the sauce.

You can also find my own Tortellini alla Panna creation with spreadable cheese on the blog. This recipe focuses on cream and Parmesan.

Diced ham for a little bite

I use chunks of cooked ham from the butcher and fry them in butter first. After about five minutes, they are lightly browned and ready for the cream. Meanwhile, I cook the tortellini in salted water. For this recipe, I used dried tortellini with a meat filling.

I lift the cooked tortellini straight from the water into the pan. I also reserve a little of their cooking water for the egg yolk and Parmesan mixture.

Finishing the creamy sauce

In a separate bowl, I mix the egg yolk with freshly grated Parmesan and four tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Before adding this mixture, I take the pan completely off the heat. I then stir it through the pasta and finish with a small piece of butter.

I season the sauce with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, then divide the tortellini between two plates and add a little more Parmesan. Parsley or basil makes a lovely optional garnish.

My kitchen tip

Take the pan off the hot hob before stirring in the egg yolk and Parmesan mixture. Do not bring the sauce back to the boil afterwards, as the egg could scramble.

A simple Italian recipe

Tortellini alla Panna with Cream and Ham

An Italian classic: meat-filled tortellini in a creamy sauce with cooked ham, Parmesan and freshly grated nutmeg.

Prep time

5 min

Cook time

20 min

Yield

2 servings

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Ingredients

− 2 +

• 250 gdried meat-filled tortellini
• 200 gcooked ham, diced by your butcher
• 12 gbutter, for frying
• 250 gcream
• 1egg yolk
• 25 gfreshly grated Parmesan
• 4 tbsppasta cooking water
• 10 gbutter, to finish the sauce
• freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• about 5 gextra Parmesan to serve, for both portions
• optionalparsley or basil, to garnish

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Instructions

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1. Fry the hamMelt 12 g butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced cooked ham and fry for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Cook the tortelliniMeanwhile, cook the dried tortellini in salted water according to the packet instructions. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the cooking water before lifting out the pasta.
3. Add the creamPour 250 g cream into the pan with the ham. Transfer the cooked tortellini straight from their cooking water into the sauce.
4. Mix the egg yolk and ParmesanIn a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk, 25 g freshly grated Parmesan and the 4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water.
5. Finish off the heatRemove the pan completely from the heat. Stir the egg yolk and Parmesan mixture into the tortellini, then stir in the remaining 10 g butter. Do not let the sauce boil again.
6. SeasonSeason to taste with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.
7. ServeDivide between two plates and sprinkle with about 5 g extra Parmesan in total. Garnish with parsley or basil if you like and serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving

Calories

1110 kcal

Protein

46 g

Carbohydrates

82 g

Fat

66 g

Recipe: Corinna · kitchensplace