Recipes & Fun Facts to Celebrate National Tortellini Day on Feb. 13

National Tortellini Day is coming up on February 13.

This is the day we’ve all been waiting for, it’s time to indulge in pasta filled with meats and cheeses, guilt-free. Why? Because it’s a holiday!

The folks at Three Bridges — a chef-crafted pasta, sauce, and meal company making clean eating easy and affordable — conducted the 2020 Tortellini Day Survey to see how much Americans love the belly-button shaped pasta. The survey revealed some surprising insights:

• While 92% of Americans enjoy tortellini, only less than 1% hate it.
• Among the 82% of Americans who actually know what tortellini even is (up 8% from last year), 45% say they love it (increase) while 49% say they like it. Only around 7% don’t care for the stuffed pasta (decrease).
• About 39% of Americans believe tortellini is fancier than other pasta.
• An additional 29% say eating tortellini makes them feel fancy, even if all they’re doing is adding sauce.
• Some 12% of Americans have even served the pasta in order to impress someone, which is up from 7% last year.
• For two years in a row, Americans have picked cheese as their favorite tortellini filling (24% for 2020, up 4% from last year).
• Approximately 6% said that they’ll only eat homemade tortellini while another 94% are extremely thankful for pre-made pasta.
• Nationwide, 78% of Americans are all about cheese when it comes to tortellini (and likely food in general). 
• America’s top five favorite tortellini fillings include:

1. Cheese — 24%
2. Triple Cheese — 20%
3. Spinach and Cheese — 21%
4. Italian Sausage — 15% (up from the number 5 spot)
5. Chicken and Cheese — 11%

For the 92% of Americans who are tortellini fans, below are a few recipes created by the chefs at Three Bridges to kick-off your National Tortellini Day celebrations. Since National Tortellini Day falls so close to Valentine's Day, some of these dishes could even be used to celebrate both! 

>> Spinach & Tortellini Stuffing
Make your stuffing the star of the dinner table with this tortellini twist. Preheat your oven to 350°F and combine onion, celery, apple, sausage, butter, and sage into a large sauté pan. Cook until sausage is cooked through before carefully adding the ingredients into a casserole dish. Gently combine the ingredients with Three Bridges Spinach & Cheese Tortellini, chicken broth, and salt & pepper. Top the casserole with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then serve it to your friends!

>> Tortellini & Ravioli with Marinara, Sausage, and Greens
The perfect hearty meal made to warm your bones on a cold winter day. In a large pot, sauté chopped greens in olive oil until wilted. In a separate pot, cook Three Bridges Three Cheese Ravioli and Tortellini in boiling salted water and then add the pasta to your greens pot along with Three Bridges Marinara Sauce, halved mini mozzarella balls, sausage, olives, salt, and pepper and bring to a low simmer. Top with grated cheese and red pepper flakes and enjoy!

>> Creamy Tortellini & Cauliflower Bake
This comforting meal is perfect for when you have a busy week ahead of you and need a dinner made to last! Preheat your oven to 350°F and gently toss together Three Bridges Triple Cheese Tortellini, Three Bridges Alfredo Sauce, cauliflower, thyme, parsley, capers, white wine, grated mozzarella, crumbled bacon, salt, and black pepper. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and top it with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and the rest of your herbs before baking for 40-50 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes and enjoy a warm and filling meal.