One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas

By Ali Slagle

Updated April 17, 2025

One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(7,556)
Comments
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Luxurious in the end result but not in process, this quick, one-pot pasta features crisp shards of salty prosciutto, soft pillows of tortellini and bright pops of sweet peas in a silky lemon cream sauce. The dish is inspired by pasta alla papalina, a more delicate carbonara that uses prosciutto instead of guanciale and Parmesan instead of Pecorino. While pasta alla papalina often uses long noodles, this dish uses tortellini and cooks them right in the broth and heavy cream: No waiting for a pot of water to boil, and the starch from the pasta helps the cream thicken into a sauce. Serve alongside an arugula salad or seared asparagus. You can use bacon instead of prosciutto, which will add some smokiness.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed
  • 4slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
  • 1shallot, finely chopped
  • 16 to 20ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 2cups (10 ounces) frozen peas (no need to thaw)
  • 1cup chicken broth
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ teaspoons zest plus 1½ tablespoons juice)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

489 calories; 33 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 921 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium. Add the prosciutto in a single layer and cook, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Press occasionally with a spatula to ensure even crisping and reducing the heat as necessary if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the prosciutto to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

  2. Step 2

    To the skillet, add the shallot and cook over medium until softened, 2 to 4 minutes, adding about ½ tablespoon butter if the pan is dry. Add the tortellini, peas, chicken broth, heavy cream and nutmeg (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and peas are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the prosciutto on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,556 user ratings
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Comments

Melissa

The introductory notes talk about "Parmesan instead of Pecorino," yet Parmesan isn't listed as an ingredient.

Lucie

Honestly, cooking anything in the kitchen together with friends or family sounds like a nightmare I would prefer to avoid.

Maris

Absolutely delicious! Made exactly as is on a Sunday night and LOVED it!

Katie S.

Great week night meal, easy and tasty, super pleased with it. Modifications: added asparagus which I cooked a little with the shallots before adding the broth, topped with some shredded Romano at the end and subbed crispy veggie bacon for the prosciutto to make it vegetarian. Seasoned heavily with ground pepper. I also used a little less cream and served it more like tortellini brodo. My husband has a great palette and I wouldn’t have predicted this would be a hit but the lemon really was a beautiful balance to the cream. With the added veggies it felt like a hearty, relatively nutritious meal and it was easy peasy.

Alex

I really enjoyed this meal and followed it almost exactly to the recipe with no changes/substitutions. I did find the sauce to be way too thin, so I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up a bit. Finished it up with some parm and it was a delicious meal! Would definitely make again.

Micaelia from Sonoma

So simple. So delicious. Lemon just adds that beautiful freshness at the end. Yum! On rotation!

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