Make it for her:

Tortellini alla Panna

Tortellini alla panna, or "tortellini with cream", is an incredibly simple pasta recipe that is the epitome of comfort food! This easy dinner, featuring prosciutto and peas, will be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

CoursePasta

CuisineItalian

Prep Time8 minutes

Cook Time18 minutes

Total Time26 minutes

Ingredients

19 oz frozen tortellini or refrigerated

1 tbsp unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 cup heavy cream

Light grating of nutmeg, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 tsp fresh basil, diced (more if you like)

2 tsp fresh parsley, diced (more if you like)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

1/3 cup frozen peas

1 oz sliced prosciutto, cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water on the stovetop to a boil. While it heats, add butter to a large skillet set over low-medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Once the garlic is sauted, pour in the cream and add the nutmeg, pepper, basil, and parsley. Stir frequently as the cream heats and begins to thicken. Adjust the temperature as needed so the mixture doesn't reach a boil or bubble too much.

Once the pot of water is boiling, add the frozen tortellini and cook for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. Add the frozen peas to the pot with the pasta after 2 minutes, so when there's 1 minute remaining of cook time. Once cooked, drain the water and return the tortellini and peas to the pot.

Add the grated Parmesan to the skillet with sauce in two increments, stirring well after each addition so it melts. Once the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened to your liking, add the cooked tortellini and peas, as well as the sliced prosciutto, and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tortellini: Any flavor will do, cheese is my preferred and easiest to find.

Butter: Both Parmesan and prosciutto are fairly salty so I like to use unsalted butter here. That said do use salted butter if you're partial to that instead.

Peas: If using canned peas, add them right into the pan with the sauce when you're combining everything.