We’re clearly very into pasta here at Delish—classic spaghetti and meatballs, trendy baked feta pasta, super creative miso bolognese, even simple buttered noodles…we love them all! Our favorite way to take them over the top is to stuff them (a la our cheese manicotti or spinach stuffed shells), and you can’t beat store-bought tortellini for convenience, flavor, and, surprisingly, versatility. They’re great for last-minute appetizers, ever-popular pasta salads, easy weeknight dinners, and the most comforting of soups. Check out our best tortellini recipes for ideas—we bet you’ll pick up a pack or two to keep in your cabinet or freezer from now on.
When you think of tortellini, you might think of the little ring-shaped pasta (Italian rumors say the shape is based on the goddess Venus’ belly-button 😉) stuffed with meat or cheese and falling under the same umbrella as ravioli or wontons. You’d be half right: Technically tortellini are smaller stuffed pastas traditionally stuffed with meat, while tortellino are larger and usually filled with cheese. These definitions have gotten muddled, and you’ll find both shelf stable and refrigerated/frozen options labeled as both. Pretty much all of them will work here, so try out different brands to find your favorites.
Then get to cooking! Most brands of tortellini will cook in less than 10 minutes, so you can have a meal on the table, FAST. Try our Asiago tortellini, our cheese tortellini with peas and bacon, or our ham & cheese tortellini (super kid-friendly!) for an easy dinner everyone will love. Looking for something potluck-worthy? Try our Greek tortellini salad, our Bolognese baked tortellini, our Tuscan tortellini salad, or our spinach artichoke tortellini bake—be prepared to hand out the recipes. Need a quick appetizer, like yesterday? Try our Parmesan "fried" tortellini, our antipasto bites, or our oven fried tortellini—you can get them out to a hungry crowd in no time. Craving soup, but don't have hours for prep? Try our Tuscan tortellini soup, our creamy Parm tomato soup, or our spinach tortellini soup—they all come together in less than an hour!
Want even more pasta inspiration? Check out our favorite penne pasta recipes, our top gnocchi recipes, and our best spaghetti recipes too.
Bolognese Baked Tortellini
Waiting for a big pot of water to boil is the worst. In this baked pasta, there is no boiling. The tortellini magically bakes in the Bolognese until it's perfectly cooked! Even if the sauce seems too thick and meaty, the tortellini too cold, trust us—it works.
Get the Bolognese Baked Tortellini recipe.
Cheese Tortellini with Peas and Bacon
If you love bacon and cheese, say hello to this amazingly easy spring pasta. You only need 5 ingredients—cheese tortellini, bacon, garlic, frozen peas, and Parmesan—to make it, so feel free to jazz it up with extra veggies (asparagus maybe?) or greens if you like.
Tuscan Tortellini Salad
This easy tortellini salad is ALWAYS a fave at picnics. Feel free to swap the sun-dried tomatoes here for fresh cherry tomatoes, use kale instead of spinach or bacon instead of salami, or replace the Parmesan with Pecorino or mozzarella.
Get the Tuscan Tortellini Salad recipe.
Tuscan Tortellini Soup
This healthy, hearty soup featuring chicken sausage, crushed tomatoes, white beans, spinach, and tortellini NEEDS to be in your fall dinner lineup.
Get the Tuscan Tortellini Soup recipe.
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. If you're not a fan of olives, pepperoncini peppers would be a delicious substitute!
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
Ham & Cheese Tortellini
This is one of our favorite easy, kid-friendly meals—everyone can get into salty deli ham and cheesy tortellini in a creamy sauce. Swap peas for bigger veggies if your kids are little, or are just pea-averse. 😉
Get the Ham & Cheese Tortellini recipe.
Spinach Tortellini Soup
A regular rotation of healthy soups makes getting through the week so much easier, and this spinach tortellini version slides easily into the mix. It only takes 25 minutes to make spinach tortellini soup thanks to pantry staples like shallots, Parmesan, canned tomatoes, and tortellini.
Get the Spinach Tortellini Soup recipe.
Parmesan Fried Tortellini
Tortellini lovers, you'll flip for these crunchy, "fried" bites. Be warned: They're EXTREMELY poppable and best served with marinara sauce.
Get the Parmesan Fried Tortellini recipe.
Greek Tortellini Salad
Jazz up store-bought tortellini with Greek-inspired ingredients like kalamatas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and feta. This pasta salad is what picnic dreams are made of.
Get the Greek Tortellini Salad recipe.
Tortellini Skewers
Beyond maybe pasta salad, we never see tortellini at a party—which is a major shame. These skewers are easy to make, transport, and eat, which makes them ideal cookout fare. Plus, they're insanely adorable.
Get the Tortellini Skewers recipe.
Creamy Parm Tomato Soup
This easy tomato soup is perfect for those chilly fall and winter evenings. If you prefer heartier greens, kale or broccoli rabe can be added 5 minutes after the tortellini.
Get the Creamy Parm Tomato Soup recipe.
Spinach Artichoke Tortellini Bake
Our ideal easy weeknight dinner definitely involves pasta and plenty of it. This spinach artichoke-inspired baked pasta is so simple and has an easy creamy sauce that you'll be tempted to eat before ever adding the pasta. Trust us, it's worth the wait.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
Homemade chicken noodle soup is already the most comforting soup ever; tortellini just adds a hint of indulgence. This might just become your sick day go-to.
Pizza Tortellini Bake
Attention pizza lovers! This cheesy tortellini skillet is calling your name. Mix and match your favorite toppings and make this the personal "pizza" of your dreams.
Get the Pizza Tortellini Bake recipe.
Oven Fried Tortellini
Oven fried tortellini is the perfect last-minute appetizer. Do like we do and keep a couple packs of tortellini in your freezer and marinara sauce in your cabinet, just in case.
Get the Oven Fried Tortellini recipe.
Asiago Tortellini
This super simple sauce is extra silky and cheesy, thanks to heavy cream, chicken broth, and, of course, nutty Asiago cheese.
Get the Asiago Tortellini recipe.
Cheesy Bacon-Spinach Tortellini
Store-bought tortellini (we used cheese, but you could go with chicken!) combines with burrata, white wine, and Parmesan for the ultimate high/low-brow dish.
Crispy Skillet Tortellini
Cooking frozen tortellini like you would pot stickers is a total game-changer. Paired with ricotta and broccoli turns it into something easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough for a special occasion.
Get the Crispy Skillet Tortellini recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
