Tortellini in mushroom and ricotta sauce
This tortellini in mushroom and ricotta sauce is a quick and easy vegetarian pasta dish that comes together in about 20 minutes. It uses ready-to-cook mushroom and cheese tortellini with a simple, creamy sauce made from ricotta, sautéed mushrooms, garlic and lemon. You can use mushroom and ricotta, wild mushroom and mascarpone, or another mushroom-filled tortellini depending on what you can find. Shiitake mushrooms work particularly well, adding a deep, savoury flavour to the sauce. A little pasta cooking water gives the ricotta a silky consistency without making the sauce heavy. Finish with plenty of grated Parmesan or Pecorino and fresh parsley for an easy midweek supper.
Ingredients
Method
- Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Cut the mushrooms into fairly large pieces.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the tortellini and cook for 2–3 minutes, or according to the packet instructions. Transfer the tortellini to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallot and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and released their juices.
- Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the mixture seems too dry or sticky. Stir in the ricotta, lemon zest then gradually add a little more pasta water, stirring until you have a thick, smooth and silky sauce.
- Add the lemon zest and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Turn off the heat and gently add the tortellini to the sauce. Toss carefully to coat without breaking the pasta.
- Serve immediately with plenty of grated Parmesan or Pecorino and chopped fresh parsley.