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Fried Tortellini with Marinara Cream Sauce

By Paula Deen

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Difficulty: Hard

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 30

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup grated, plus 1/2 cup for filling Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 lightly beaten, plus 2 eggs for pasta and filling eggs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • for deep frying peanut oil
  • 1 (16 oz) package fresh pasta sheets
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup softened fresh goat cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 jar prepared marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

For the tortellini:

Mix together ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 egg, black pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg in a bowl.

Lay out the pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the sheets up to make 2 by 2-inch squares of dough. Place about 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling in the center of each square. Beat 1 egg and lightly brush around circumference of the dough. Fold each square in half diagonally to make a triangle around the filling. Press out any air from the center so that the dough is fit smoothly around the filling. Wrap the triangle around your index finger and press the tips together. The third point of the triangle should fold forward to make the proper tortellini shape. Place the finished tortellini on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Cook the fresh tortellini in a large pot of simmering water for about 3 minutes or until they float. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

For the breading:

Preheat oil to 375 °F.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Put the 3 beaten eggs into another. In a third bowl, toss together breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley.

In small batches, bread the tortellini in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off any excess.

Fry the tortellini in batches in the oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray to drain and season with salt and pepper while still hot.

For the marinara cream sauce:

In a large saucepan, combine sauce, cream and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.