Tomato spinach sauce tortellini is a quick and incredibly delicious recipe. Tender, meat-stuffed tortellini in a rich tomato spinach sauce, enriched with some capers and chili make such a comforting meal.
Don’t you just love pasta? I do. And when filled, I like it even more. Wink. Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta, filled with a delicious filling. Not only are they cooked in only two minutes, but they make a delicious mid-week meal and a fancy meal perfect for the guests, too.
Tortellini legend
Behind every pasta, there is a legend or a myth. More, the legend says, that Modena and Bologna were engaged in a 12-year struggle because of a theft of a bucket. Therefore, they asked the gods for help. Mars, Venus and Bacchus came to help to solve the issue and they found themselves spending the night in an inn between the two cities.
But what has all of this to do with tortellini? Keep reading. Wink. The owner, overwhelmed by the beauty of Venus, decided to reproduce the navel he had glimpsed by using the thin pastry he prepared that night. The tortellini was born. The origins are still being disputed between Bologna and Modena. Since their creation, tortellini have undergone several variations (mainly concerning the tasty stuffing).
For example, the classic filling is made with parts of pork loin, mortadella (yummy), ham and Parmigiano Reggiano. But nowadays, there are other delicious stuffings like prosciutto and ricotta, spinach and ricotta, walnuts and blue cheese, radicchio and bacon, mushrooms or pumpkin.
The tradition also says tortellini should be cooked and served exclusively in broth. As a child, I remember often eating a clear broth with tortellini. It was a Sunday’s special in our family. The Italians may bend the rules on tortellini prepared with panna (cream). Hahaha. I have no idea what they would do with my dish. Well. I know it’s delicious and cooked from the heart and not by the rules.
I decided on a simple tomato sauce, enriched with salty capers and spiced up with some dried chili. So delicious. And because I love green vegetables, I picked fresh spinach. It’s a lovely combination of ingredients that merge into a rich and tasty sauce.
Pretty easy to make and it can be on your table in a relatively short time. In fact, the recipe is so quick that I suggest gathering all the needed ingredients in front of you before you start cooking. For more quick and simple pasta recipes check this cacio e pepe, the classic penne all’arrabbiata or this spaghetti alla carbonara.
Ingredients for 2 portions of tomato spinach sauce tortellini:
- 400 g tortellini
- olive oil
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 2 tsp of capers
- 1 dried chili (chopped)
- 400 ml pelati (canned peeled tomatoes)
- salt
- 2 handfulls of fresh spinach
To begin, prepare a larger frying pan (with a high edge) and a medium-large pot. Peel and slice the onion, wash the spinach and let it drain.
Then, drizzle some olive oil in the pan and add some water into the pot. Once the oil gets hot, add the onion, chili and the drained capers. Saute them for a couple of minutes until soft. Stir in the pelati and carefully smash them with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat, season and let it simmer for five minutes.
In the meantime, bring the water to a boil. Then, throw in the tortellini and cook for a couple of minutes. Once they come on the surface, transfer them to the pan with the tomato sauce. Give a gentle toss, add the spinach on top, cover with a lid, remove from the heat and allow the spinach to wilt.
Finally, divide the tomato spinach sauce tortellini between the plates. You might sprinkle them with some cheese or some more chili flakes.
Enjoy!
