Lala & Zo

feisty lifestyle, vegetarian recipes

Tortellini with Marinara and Mozzarella Pearls

Tortellini

This tortellini with marinara dish is one of those after church on Sunday, stick to your bones kind of meals. You can eat it anytime of day and any day of the week, of course…you know what I mean. It’s got all the things a pasta dish should have and is topped with gooey melty cheese! Bonus, it comes together quickly enough for a week night meal.

I prefer to make my own sauce. It’s super easy to do and we always have the ingredients on hand. If you want to use store bought, that’s okay too. Judgement free zone over here!

First, start out by making the marinara so that it can simmer while you make the pasta and side dish of your choosing. To get started, add the olive oil to a sauce pan. Try to use one that you have a lid to, you don’t want simmering tomato to splatter everywhere! Cook the diced onion, celery and carrots until they are softened.

Next, add in the can of crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste. The tomato paste gives the sauce a nice richness and adds an extra layer of tomato goodness. Sprinkle in the seasonings and butter. The sugar and butter help to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes. Pop the lid on and let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. Dice up the fresh basil and green onions and set them aside. Shred the parmesan if using and open the package of fresh mozzarella pearls.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the simmering tomato sauce. Stir until all the pasta is coated with the sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.

My family likes to have the cheese melted, but I’m weird and like the cold pops of mozzarella in my hot pasta. Yum!
Tortellini

This particular time I just popped the lid on the pan to let the cheese melt a bit. You could also throw it under the broiler to really get things going. It’s been 100+ around these parts, so I decided against turning the oven on.

Lastly, top everything with the diced green onion and chopped basil. Serve hot.

It pairs nicely with a salad, fresh green beans or a big chunk of crusty garlic bread. Just invite me over when you make it, okay?!

Tortellini

Tortellini
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Tortellini with Marinara and Mozzarella Pearls

Author Leslie

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 package cheese tortellini
  • 1/2 package fresh mozzarella pearls

Garnish

  • 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
  • parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 3 green onions, chopped

Instructions

  1. Warm olive oil in a saucepan with a lid.  

  2. Add diced onion, celery and carrot. Cook vegetables until they are tender. 

  3. Carefully pour can of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste in.

  4. Add the garlic powder, sugar and butter, stir. Next add in salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-30 mins. The longer the better. Stirring occasionally. 

  6. While the sauce is simmering, cook the tortellini according to package instructions. Drain when done.

  7. Serve sauce over the tortellini or mix the two together and then top with mozzarella pearls.

  8. At this point you can cover with a lid and let the residual heat melt the pearls or you can pop the pan under the broiler for a few minutes. 

  9. Garnish with fresh basil, shredded parmesan cheese and green onions.