Prosciutto Tortellini

December 2024. Winter in Memphis, 66 years old, and the cold has settled into the house on Deadrick Avenue the way cold settles into old bones — persistently, without malice, just the physics of aging and December. Rosetta has the thermostat set at 74, our eternal compromise, and I cook warming things: stews and soups and slow-braised meats that fill the house with steam and flavor.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 41 years of marriage. Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew.

Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.

Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.

I’ve been leaning into warming things all December — slow ribs, long braises, anything that steams up the kitchen windows and reminds the house it’s alive. When Walter Jr. brought the grandchildren by mid-week, I needed something I could pull together faster than a five-hour smoke but still felt like I’d put real care into it. This prosciutto tortellini has become exactly that dish: rich enough to feel like Sunday, fast enough for a Wednesday with small children underfoot, and the kind of thing Rosetta will finish without commentary, which in this house means it passed.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 oz prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

Boil the tortellini. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions until just tender, about 3–4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
Crisp the prosciutto. While the pasta cooks, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the torn prosciutto in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the sauce. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add the peas and cheese. Stir the frozen peas into the sauce and cook 1 minute until warmed through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with black pepper, red pepper flakes if using, and salt to taste.
Combine and finish. Add the drained tortellini to the skillet and toss gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. Return the crisped prosciutto to the pan and fold it in.
Serve. Divide among bowls, top with additional Parmesan and a scatter of fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Prosciutto Tortellini — Something Warm for the Cold That Settles In