Chef notes
We eat a lot of pasta in our house, and it can start to feel repetitive and boring. Coating tortellini in Parmesan and breadcrumbs and lightly frying them creates a unique and irresistible snack that is nothing like boring pasta. Your guests will beg you for the recipe!
Kitchen equipment required: A slotted spoon helps to remove tortellinis from oil.
Technique tip: Cooking the tortellini to al dente (rather than well done) will prevent it from falling apart during the frying process.
Swap options: Have fun experimenting with different flavors of tortellini or swap finely grated cheddar cheese for the Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 package store-bought refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- Marinara sauce or ranch dressing
Preparation
1.In a pot of boiling water, cook tortellini according to instructions on package, draining a minute early so pasta is al dente.
2.In a bowl, combine panko and Parmesan and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
3.Set up a frying station by placing flour in a bowl and eggs in another.
4.Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
5.Working in batches, place the tortellini into the flour first, then the eggs, then the panko mixture.
6.Add tortellini to the oil (as many comfortable fit into the pan), and cook until they are golden brown and crispy, flipping once (this takes a couple of minutes). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
7.Serve while hot with ranch dressing or marinara sauce for dipping.
