A classic tortellini and rosa sauce is always an easy and delicious weeknight meal. When you add some extra flavor with the pancetta, spinach and cherry tomatoes, it elevates it to the next level. And best part? It’s still easy! After initially cooking the pancetta, I used the excess oil to then sauté the cherry tomatoes and spinach to make sure all of that great flavor was integrated into the dish. And of course who could forget the garlic – lots of fresh garlic!
You can certainly serve this sauce over various types of pasta, however larger noodles are recommended in order to compete with the thick and rich tomato parmesan cream sauce. Penne, rigatoni or cheese filled ravioli would all work as well. There are many options as to filled pastas in the grocery store – I would stick to something simple such as ricotta-filled as the sauce brings so much flavor already. When choosing your spinach, I recommend utilizing regular (instead of baby spinach) to cook with, as it tends to hold up better and have a nicer flavor. Serve with a side salad and some fresh Italian bread and you have yourself a complete meal sure to impress. Let me know what you think of my cheese tortellini in a pancetta, spinach and tomato rosa sauce!
Cheese Tortellini in a Pancetta, Spinach and Tomato Rosa Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 lb pancetta, diced
- 5 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
- salt & pepper, to taste
- cheese tortellini (or your favorite pasta)
Instructions
- In skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced pancetta, cook for 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove pancetta and set aside, reserving about 4 tablespoons oil in skillet.
- Add quartered tomatoes to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add spinach and 2 cloves minced garlic until wilted. Set aside.
- In saucepan, melt butter with remaining 2 cloves minced garlic over low heat (do not brown).
- .Add cream and heat (do not boil)
- Whisk in tomato paste until smooth, followed by parmesan cheese.
- Add parsley and black pepper to taste.
- Add pancetta and spinach/tomato mixture into saucepan. Heat additional 5 minutes, or until hot (do not boil).
- Cook cheese tortellini according to package instructions. Pour sauce over and serve.
