Filled with meat, cheese, seafood, or vegetables, stuffed pasta (or filled pasta) are best coated with simple tomato or light, cream-based sauces. Stuffed pasta dough is often flavored and tinted with spinach, tomato, saffron, or mushrooms.
Typically, stuffed pastas are fresh or frozen. Frozen stuffed pasta takes longer to cook than fresh. This table gives the cooking times (how long they need to boil in water) for frozen stuffed pastas. If you buy fresh stuffed pasta, just follow the directions on the package.
Cooking times for frozen stuffed pastas
| Italian Name and Description | Stuffing | Approximate Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Agnolotti (half-moon shaped) | Stuffed with meat or cheese | Cooks in 7 to 9 minutes |
| Ravioli (little square pillows) | Stuffed with meat, cheese, fish, or vegetables | Cooks in 8 to 10 minutes |
| Tortellini (ring-shaped little twists) | Stuffed with meat or cheese | Cooks in 10 to 12 minutes |
