The Frozen Tortellini Feast: 10 Ways to Turn This Freezer Staple into Dinner
Grab a pen and jot down “frozen tortellini” on your grocery list, then head out and pick up a few bags to stash in the freezer. Now you can rest easy knowing you have more than a few ridiculously fast dinners on hand for whenever you need them most. I am not simply talking about boiling up the pasta and tossing it with a jar or marinara, though — that’s just the beginning. Tortellini is a blank slate for creative and tasty meals that everyone in the family can get behind.
How to Have Fun with Frozen Tortellini
The fun thing about tortellini is just how versatile it is. Oh, and it also happens to be quite affordable; making it a pantry essential will never break the bank. Cooking tortellini as usual and serving it with tomato sauce is just the start of how it can be prepared and assembled. Here’s how to branch out.
Cook it in something other than water.
Simmer frozen tortellini in a can or box of store-bought tomato soup and suddenly that simple soup is a tortellini and tomato soup. If you prefer, simmer it in chicken broth and add pre-cooked mini meatballs and frozen peas to the pot for a quick twist on a pasta and meatball soup. Or make a quick tortellini, sausage, and greens skillet by cooking the pasta with a few splashes of broth right in the pan.
Toss it with a few new ingredients.
Roasted vegetable and pesto tortellini is a great choice for your next Meatless Monday. If you’d rather add meat to the equation, make some creamy lemon mascarpone tortellini that’s sprinkled with crispy prosciutto. Then make a Greek-inspired tortellini pasta salad and enjoy it for lunch all week. Lean harder on the salad concept and simply make green salad with tortellini tossed in.
Bake it, stir-fry it, skewer it.
Go beyond the boil by tossing frozen tortellini with tomato sauce and plenty of shredded mozzarella and cooking it in the oven for a cheesy pasta bake. Take a cue from Chinese potstickers and assemble a crispy tortellini stir-fry with the addition of some frozen veggies. Or eat with your hands by making antipasti skewers piled with olives, salumi, and more.