We love to keep things simple and straightforward when it comes to cooking and baking. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy cooking more elaborate meals and spending some time in the kitchen – but that usually only happens on weekends. During the week, we prefer simple dishes. Something like these One-Pot Marry Me Tortellini. Everything is prepared in one large pot, it’s super easy, delicious, and of course, it’s also very filling. Win-win-win!
Anyone who spends time online and frequently searches for recipes will find a lot of recipes these days with »marry me« in the title. Almost all of these dishes have a creamy, well-seasoned sauce with tomatoes and often with a little spinach as well. Why is that? Good question. I once read somewhere that the concept of »marry me« dishes originated from an article and recipe in a fashion magazine from the 80s.
The recipe in question was for roasted chicken in a lemony sauce with typical Italian spices and was called »Engagement Chicken«. A tasty chicken dish, supposedly designed to inspire the author’s boyfriend to propose. The couple apparently got engaged quite soon after, and the author’s female colleagues are also said to have spontaneously exchanged vows with their partners after preparing the dish. At least, that’s the story that was presented alongside the recipe. ;P
Whether any of this is true is difficult to verify. The chicken certainly didn’t taste bad, judging by the description. How this led to today’s recipes with a creamy sauce, tomatoes, and spinach, however, is anyone’s guess. There’s probably another romantic story behind that one, where several people end up saying »I do« – who knows?!
Anyway. Love stories aside, »marry me« dishes are delicious and usually straightforward to prepare. The idea is to create a relaxed atmosphere that leads to engagements and the like – long hours and stress in the kitchen would be rather counterproductive, right? Quick and easy definitely makes sense here.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Pot Tortellini
Gently sauté the aromatics.
Onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes should only be sautéed over medium heat. This allows them to develop their full aroma without becoming bitter – especially with garlic you have to be careful not to burn it.
Briefly »bloom« the spices.
Sautéing tomato paste and dried herbs briefly is crucial for more intense flavors. As soon as they start to smell fragrant, continue cooking and adding the other ingredients to prevent stuff from burning.
Incorporate the flour evenly.
The flour should be sprinkled evenly into the pot and stirred in well so it can bind liquid properly. This helps to thicken the sauce evenly later and prevents lumps from forming when you add the broth.
Stir the tortellini regularly.
Especially with one-pot dishes, it’s important to stir the pasta and other ingredients quite regularly. Particularly filled pasta like tortellini tends to clump together at the bottom and stick and sometimes even burn.
Add heavy cream, cheese and other dairy products over low heat.
Once the heavy cream and Parmesan are in the pot, reduce the heat. This keeps the sauce creamy and the cheese melts nicely without curdling.
By the way, we already have several recipes on the blog that are very similar to this one, at least as far as the sauce is concerned. We love it. Our Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Pasta also uses heavy cream, tomatoes, and spinach, which make a really delicious sauce. However, instead of tortellini, the dish is made with linguine. And you also get real chicken on your plate as well. Not the quickest dish to make, but of course, really delicious.
Our Ravioli in Creamy Tomato & Spinach Sauce can be done even a bit faster than the tortellini here. It’s also a great weeknight meal that can be on the table quickly thanks to the refrigerated ravioli. The preparation is similar to the »marry me« tortellini here, only seasoned slightly differently and further refined with a little wine and fresh cherry tomatoes. If you prefer this style, you could theoretically try it with tortellini as well.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
some olive oil for frying
1 red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
5.3 oz. (150g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil*, drained & chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste*
2 tsp. dried oregano*
1 tsp. dried basil*
1 tsp. paprika powder*
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram*
1/4 tsp. dried thyme*
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
22 fl. oz. (650ml) chicken broth
18 oz. (500g) tortellini (semi-fresh)*
7 oz. (200g) heavy cream
1.4 oz. (40g) parmesan cheese, grated
3.5 oz. (100g) baby spinach leaves
salt, pepper
some dried chili flakes* (optional)
(4 Portionen)
etwas Olivenöl zum Braten
1 rote Zwiebel, fein gewürfelt
2 Knoblauchzehen, fein gewürfelt
150g getrocknete Tomaten in Öl*, abgetropft & gehackt
1 EL Tomatenmark*
2 TL Oregano*
1 TL Basilikum*
1 TL Paprikapulver*
1/4 TL Majoran*
1/4 TL Thymian*
2 EL Mehl (Type 405)
650ml Hühnerbrühe
500g Tortellini (semi-frisch)*
200g Sahne
40g Parmesan, gerieben
100g Babyspinat
Salz, Pfeffer
einige getrocknete Chiliflocken* (optional)
Possible Alternatives & Variations
Broth: Chicken broth can easily be replaced with veggie broth if desired. This is the best alternative for everyone who wants to keep the dish vegetarian.
Heavy Cream: Instead of heavy cream, you could also use crème fraîche or plant-based alternatives made from oats or soy.
Tortellini: Tortellini come in a wide variety of versions – filled with cheese, meat, or veggies, anything works here. Alternatively, you can use gnocchi, ravioli, or other types of filled pasta.
Cheese: Parmesan can be replaced with Grana Padano, Pecorino, or a vegetarian hard cheese alternative.
Veggies: Baby spinach can be substituted with Swiss chard, arugula, or maybe some zucchini strips. However, be mindful of cooking times – zucchini, for example, takes longer than Swiss chard, and arugula should only be added shortly before serving, as it wilts quickly.
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start by prepping the veggies – peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil and let them drain a bit, then chop them coarsely. Wash the baby spinach and let it drain.
2. Heat up a Dutch oven* with some olive oil. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the diced garlic and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the dried oregano, basil, paprika powder, marjoram, and thyme, stir in and let toast for a moment until fragrant. Next, add the flour, stir it in, and let it cook for a moment, then deglaze with the chicken broth. Let the sauce come to a boil, then add the tortellini. Reduce the heat a bit and let everything simmer for about 10–12 minutes (see note) – stir occasianally, so the tortellini do not stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
3. Stir in the heavy cream, then add the grated parmesan and drained baby spinach. Let everything simmer over low heat for another 2–3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are cooked properly. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. If you don’t mind a bit of heat, season with some dried chili flakes as well (optional).
Note: Depending on the type of tortellini you are using, the cooking time might vary slightly. Super dry tortellini might need longer than the semi-fresh ones we used here. The same goes for fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section in the supermarket – those cook quicker.
1. Mit dem Vorbereiten des Gemüses beginnen – dazu die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen und fein würfeln. Die getrockneten Tomaten aus dem Öl nehmen und abtropfen lassen und dann grob hacken. Den Spinat waschen und abtropfen lassen.
2. Einen großen gusseisernen Topf* mit etwas Olivenöl erhitzen. Die Zwiebel dazugeben und glasig andünsten. Knoblauch und getrocknete Tomaten dazugeben und etwa 1–2 Minuten mit den Zwiebeln anbraten. Als Nächstes das Tomatenmark, Oregano, Basilikum, Paprikapulver, Majoran und Thymian dazugeben und alles kurz anrösten lassen, bis Tomatenmark und Gewürze anfangen zu duften. Das Mehl dazugeben und kurz mit anschwitzen, dann mit der Hühnerbrühe ablöschen. Die Flüssigkeit im Topf einmal aufkochen lassen, dann die Tortellini dazugeben und bei leicht reduzierter Hitzezufuhr für etwa 10–12 Minuten köcheln lassen (s. Hinweis). Immer wieder mal umrühren, damit nichts am Boden des Topfes anbrennt.
3. Als Nächstes die Sahne dazugeben und unterrühren, dann den Parmesan und den Spinat dazugeben. Alles bei geringer Hitzezufuhr noch einmal 2–3 Minuten köcheln lassen – der Spinat sollte zusammengefallen sein und die Tortellini weich bzw. gar sein. Nach Belieben mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Wer es gerne etwas schärfer mag, kann zum Schluss auch noch einige getrocknete Chiliflocken dazugeben (optional).
Hinweis: Je nach Art der verwendeten Tortellini kann die Garzeit leicht variieren. Sehr trockene Tortellini müssen eventuell etwas länger kochen, als die semi-frischen Tortellini, die wir verwendet haben. Gleiches gilt, wenn man frische Tortellini aus dem Kühlregal verwendet – die sind schneller gar. Das Gericht funktioniert allerdings mit allen möglichen Tortellini-Versionen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Description
These One-Pot Marry Me Tortellini might not get you a marriage proposal, but definitely some happy faces around the table! So easy to make and so good!
1. Start by prepping the veggies – peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil and let them drain a bit, then chop them coarsely. Wash the baby spinach and let it drain.
2. Heat up a Dutch oven* with some olive oil. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and glossy. Next, add the diced garlic and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the dried oregano, basil, paprika powder, marjoram, and thyme, stir in and let toast for a moment until fragrant. Next, add the flour, stir it in, and let it cook for a moment, then deglaze with the chicken broth. Let the sauce come to a boil, then add the tortellini. Reduce the heat a bit and let everything simmer for about 10–12 minutes (see note) – stir occasianally, so the tortellini do not stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
3. Stir in the heavy cream, then add the grated parmesan and drained baby spinach. Let everything simmer over low heat for another 2–3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are cooked properly. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. If you don’t mind a bit of heat, season with some dried chili flakes as well (optional).
Notes
Depending on the type of tortellini you are using, the cooking time might vary slightly. Super dry tortellini might need longer than the semi-fresh ones we used here. The same goes for fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section in the supermarket – those cook quicker.
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