Mascarpone Tortellini – Quick School Night Dinner

Mascarpone tortellini is your perfect dinner.

Don’t you love when a recipe is easy, takes less than 10 minutes to assemble, and tastes delicious? I sure do.  And when it involves only four ingredients, it is even better.

Let me introduce you to Mascarpone Tortellini. A nothing-to-it dish that is perfect for a school night and an impromptu dinner with friends.

I love the comfort of quick delicious meals, and when it comes to pasta, you know you can have a miracle happening in your kitchen in less than 30 minutes.

Before I give you the super easy steps to this recipe, let me tell you a bit more about mascarpone cheese.

In this Article

What is mascarpone cheese?

Mascarpone is an Italian soft acid-set cream cheese made with only two ingredients: heavy cream and tartaric acid.

Due to the high butterfat content will melt when added to warm food, making a great sauce base.

One of the most versatile cheeses in my book. It can go from savory pasta to sweet dessert delight.

Mascarpone is made of triple-creme cheese made from fresh cream. 

The fresh milk of cows grazing on pastures filled with fresh herbs gives it that rich flavor. Extremely spreadable and very smooth.

Substitute for mascarpone cheese.

Creme fraiche is a bit more acidic with a tangy flavor and is the closest substitute.

Sour cream is another great substitute.

Ricotta needs to be whipped as it is a bit more grainy.

Lastly, Philadelphia cheese contains less fat but has a tangier taste to it.

Full-fat Greek yogurt is a great substitute.

Seeing that mascarpone is a rich cheese, you may want to add a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream to either the ricotta or cream cheese.

Tips and how to make this quick and easy mascarpone cheese tortellini to perfection

• I selected Barilla dry Cheese and Spinach Tortellini. Not only are they the perfect bite-size, but they are also perfect for the little one. They will have more because they are so small.
• Of course, you can use fresh tortellini from the deli counter. They work beautifully with this dish.
• Bursting with flavor, I added some sweet peas. You know how I feel about peas; I love them. Therefore, any occasion to incorporate them into a dish is a good one to enjoy them.
• This recipe requires canned peas; of course, you can substitute with frozen peas. However, let them cook a bit longer with the butter over medium heat. They need to be tender to the bite but not mushy.
• Cooking the tortellini will take no time at all.
• Always reserve a cup of cooking water before draining the pasta. It contains all the starches from the pasta, and if your sauce is a bit on dry sauce, the cooking water will come in handy to soften the sauce.
• Do not worry if your mascarpone will melt, it is supposed to do so.
• I also use parmesan cheese in this dish, a great counterbalance to the mascarpone’s soft taste and offers it a burst of added flavor.
• If you have a choice at your grocery store, buy the parmesan cheese you can grate. You will love the fresh flavor of it, and you know what you are getting.
• My personal choice: I do not mix the parmesan cheese with the peas and mascarpone sauce. I do not like to fight with my food while I try to fold in the sauce. Because the parmesan melts, it makes it harder to stir the pasta properly.
• However, grated over the top at serving time, it is much more pleasant.
• You can substitute the tortellini with fettuccine or linguini pasta.

Can I use other pasta with this recipe?

Yes, of course, you can. The base sauce is fantastic with other tortellini filling and ravioli.

Any tubular pasta will work beautifully as well.

I recommend tubular pasta such as penne, rigatoni, mezzi ziti so your cream sauce will go inside of the tubular part, and you get more of the sauce to enjoy.

Storing and Reheating instructions

Your mascarpone tortellini stores quite well in an airtight glass container for several days.

Once you are ready to enjoy them again, please bring them back to room temperature. Place them in a skillet large enough to hold your leftover.

Add a couple of tablespoons of water or one tablespoon of mascarpone cheese with one heavy cream.

Warm under low heat. You want to warm them up, not burn them, and gently stir them until they are ready to be enjoyed.

Enjoy this great weeknight meal.

Equipment and Ingredients that I use and recommend to make this recipe

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Originally published on March 10, 2020, updated on November 8, 2021