noun
tortellini
tor-tuh-LEE-nee/ˌtɔːrtəˈliːni/
Small ring-shaped pieces of stuffed pasta.
The cut tortellini reveals filling inside its ring-shaped pasta shell.
Etymology
The flat-cake base takes two Italian diminutives, making the name doubly “little.” This cake-related name came to designate small filled parcels of pasta rolled into rings.
In context
with the folded edge of the filled pasta facing you pull the corners together until they slightly overlap to create tortellini with a cupped outer edge and a dimpled center press to seal the overlapping edges
More examples
- Toss the tortellini with tomato sauce before serving.
- We keep frozen tortellini on hand for quick dinners.
- Each tortellino holds a small spoonful of filling.
Forms
tortellino · tortellini
Similar words
- ravioli
- Stuffed pasta usually shaped as squares rather than rings.
- tortelloni
- Similar ring-shaped stuffed pasta, but larger than tortellini.