One Pot Tortellini Stew
These delicious tortellini are cooked in savory broth (not water) so they’re brimming with flavor from the cheesy middle to the tender pasta pouch. Made in one pot and ready in about 20 minutes, this is the perfect dish for any busy night.
I love how quickly this flavorful dish comes together. Instead of making a sauce in one pan and cooking the tortellini in another, the dish is built in one pan. The sauce ingredients are added and brought to a simmer, and then the pasta is added and cooked until tender (typically just 5 to 7 minutes). So easy and so delicious.
This sauce is deliciously light because it’s a combination of tomato sauce and broth. Some stews can be heavy because they use tomato sauce for all of the liquid ingredients. This stew uses both tomato sauce and broth, so it’s light and tangy at the same time. If you don’t have tomato sauce, you can substitute pureed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or your favorite tomato product.
What type of tortellini should you use? I prefer refrigerated tortellini, but you can certainly use the shelf-stable variety too. The type I used for this dish was mixed cheese tortellini, and half of the pasta pockets were made with spinach pasta. You can also use meat-filled tortellini. Gluten-free tortellini works too. As does ravioli!
What should you serve with your tortellini stew? I suggest you serve the stew with some warm bread and a mixed green salad. That’s all you need to round out the meal.
I topped the finish stew with freshly grated parmesan cheese, but you can use grated cheese too. I love the sharpness of parmesan and Romano cheeses, but buttery mozzarella would be equally awesome.
One Pot Tortellini Stew
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 15- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 to 20 ounces refrigerated tortellini, regular or gluten-free
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or stock pot, combine the broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil.
- Add the tortellini and cook for the recommended time on the package, stirring frequently and lowering the temperature as needed to keep the liquid at a low boil/high simmer.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle the stew into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.