This recipe started with a very sophisticated culinary concept: I wanted buttered noodles. But it’s August and tomatoes are just too dang good to ignore (and you know me.. I’m incapable of leaving well enough alone).
I found these dark little Kumato tomatoes at Costco and immediately became obsessed. They’re sweeter and more complex than your standard supermarket tomato, with this really savoury, almost extra tomato-y flavour that makes them SO good raw. So I grated them into a tangy and UMAMI bomb of a no-cook sauce, then piled hot cheese tortellini coated in Calabrian chile butter and Parmesan right on top.
I tested warming the tomato sauce too, because obviously I had to know, and cold won by a mile. The contrast is really what makes this pop - cold, juicy tomatoes crossed with hot, buttery tortellini on top. Then lots of fresh basil crossed with crispy Parmesan breadcrumbs that get on every bite.
hot calabrian butter tortellini with cold tomato sauce
SERVES: 2
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
tools i use.
tips.
make it GF: ✅ use your favorite gf tortellini and panko.
make it DF: ❌
Make it easier
simplify: skip the Parmesan crunch. Finish with store-bought crispy breadcrumbs or just lots of Parmesan and black pepper. That said, if you’ve got the extra three minutes, MAKE THE CRUMBS.
riff: ravioli works beautifully here too. Stick with a simple cheese filling so the tomato and Calabrian butter still get to be the main characters.
tomato shortcut: You can make the raw tomato sauce a few hours ahead and refrigerate it. Just pull it out while the pasta water comes to a boil so it isn't fridge-fridge cold.
You might be wondering
do I have to use Kumato tomatoes? nope. They were the inspiration because they’re sweet, savoury and especially good raw, but the most important thing is using really ripe, flavourful tomatoes. Heirlooms, vine-ripened tomatoes or ripe Roma tomatoes all work. The cream of tartar is a bonus to bring out the tomato flavor and really make the flavor pop.
why are we straining the tomatoes? cause we’re getting two sauces out of one tomato. The thicker grated pulp stays cold and fresh for serving, while the tomato juice gets tossed with butter, Calabrian chile and Parmesan to create the glossy sauce on the tortellini. No wasted tomato juice around here!
make it ahead? make the tomato sauce and Parmesan crunch up to a few hours ahead. Store the tomatoes covered in the fridge and the breadcrumbs at room temperature. Cook and sauce the tortellini right before serving.
storing: store leftover tortellini and tomato sauce separately if possible. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and keep the breadcrumbs airtight at room temperature so they stay crisp.
reheating:
the best way: reheat the tortellini gently in a skillet with a splash of water until glossy again, then serve over the cold tomato sauce with fresh breadcrumbs.
the easy way: microwave the tortellini until warm and spoon it over the cold tomatoes. Add fresh breadcrumbs after reheating.
ingredients.
For the cold tomato sauce:
¾ lb very ripe tomatoes (kumato if you can find them)
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
½ tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
For the parmesan crunch:
½ cup panko
1 tbsp butter
½ oz Parmesan
small pinch of salt and pepper
For the tortellini:
12 oz cheese tortellini
3 tbsp cold butter
1 tsp Calabrian chile paste
1 oz parmesan
For serving:
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
black pepper
good quality olive oil
parmesan
steps.
Make your cold tomato sauce:
grate ¾ lb tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater directly into a bowl, discarding the skins.
stir in ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 finely grated garlic clove.
pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over another bowl. Reserve both the tomato pulp and the tomato juice, we’re using the juice to make the butter sauce.
let the sauce hang out while you make the tortellini.
grate 1 ½ oz parmesan now: ½ oz for the breadcrumbs and 1 oz for the tortellini.
Make your parmesan crunch topping:
heat a small frying pan over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp butter. Add in ½ cup panko, along with a small pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until golden, stirring frequently (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in ½ ounce parmesan. Place into a bowl to prevent continued cooking.
Make your tortellini:
bring a wide pot or deep skillet of well-salted water to a boil. Add 12 oz tortellini and cook according to package directions. Before draininng, reserve ½ cup pasta water.
return the drained tortellini to the pan over medium-heat. Add reserved tomato juice, 1 tsp of calabrian chile and 3 tbsp cold butter, 1 tbsp at a time, tossing until each addition melts into the sauce before adding the next). Add a splash of pasta water if things are looking dry, the sauce should look glossy not greasy.
remove from heat and add 1 ounce of parmesan, a bit at a time, stirring to melt between each addition. Toss vigorously until the butter and parm melt into a glossy sauce that hugs the tortellini.
Serve:
spoon the cold raw tomato sauce into the bottom of bowls.
pile the hot calabrian butter tortellini directly over top. Don’t mix them together, we want the hot/cold contrast to stick around. Finish with breadcrumbs, fresh basil and a glug of olive oil. Eat warm.
substitutions.
For the cold tomato sauce:
Kumato tomatoes → any very ripe, flavourful tomato; heirloom or vine-ripened would be my first choices
red wine vinegar → sherry or white wine vinegar
garlic clove → skip it
For the parmesan crunch:
butter → olive oil
parmesan → can skip
For the tortellini:
cheese tortellini → chicken or veg would work, or a simple flavored ravioli would be great too
calabrian chile paste → can skip if spice averse, or use 1/4 tsp red chili flakes, added at the same time
parmesan → pecorino but be very careful you don’t add it when your pasta is too hot or it will glob up.
Let me know if you make this, it’s certainly a repeat weeknight dinner around here.
