Tortellini in brodo
Cheese tortellini floating in a clear, savory parmesan broth with a little spinach, the simplest Italian comfort soup, on the table in 15 minutes.
- 15 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $3.39 a serving
- 520 calories
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 10 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini, half a package
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- ½ lemon, juiced (optional)
From your pantry
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 520 calories, 27 g protein, 63 g carbs and 18 g fat, and costs about $3.39 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring the broth and smashed garlic in a medium over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Add the tortellini, turn the heat to medium and for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and are tender.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Fresh tortellini cook fast. Taste one at 3 minutes: soft pasta and hot filling means they’re done.Fish out the garlic and stir in the spinach for 30 seconds, until it .
Wilt. Wilting means cooking leafy greens just until they go soft and collapse. Greens shrink a lot, so a big pile of spinach becomes a small handful, and that’s normal.
How you’ll know: The leaves turn soft and deep green and slump into the pan, usually within a minute or two.
Low heatTimer: 30 sec
Turn off the heat and stir in half the parmesan and the pepper.
Ladle into bowls, squeeze in a little lemon if you like, and top with the rest of the parmesan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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