Let it steep in boiling water for two or three minutes, done! Filled pasta from the refrigerated shelf can be prepared quickly. Does it taste good too? 19 products compete in the tortelloni test by Stiftung Warentest, including from Hilcona, Steinhaus and Giovanni Rana (prices: around 0.30 to 1.30 euros per 100 grams). We tested different fillings: meat, cheese, ricotta spinach. Many dumplings do well, a spinach product is deficient because of too much chlorate, and twice we found too many germs.
Tortelloni in the test: how good is pasta from the cooling shelf?
Fans of freshly filled pasta will usually be happy with their regular Italians. But it is also cheaper and faster: with finished products from the refrigerated shelf in the supermarket. The Stiftung Warentest tasted 19 chilled tortelloni of the varieties ricotta-spinach, meat and cheese, examined them for germs and harmful substances and analyzed their composition.
Filled tortelloni from the refrigerated shelf – that’s what our test offers
Test results. The table shows ratings from Stiftung Warentest for 19 pre-cooked chilled tortelloni with filling (9 with ricotta spinach, 6 with meat, 4 with cheese). Three products carry an organic seal. Purchase advice. We tell you how you can save money when you buy fresh pasta: Good ready-made pasta dishes are available for 29 cents per 100 grams. Tips and background. You’ll learn how pasta is made, what a tasting is like, how much filling to expect – and what makes tortelloni different from other filled dumplings like ravioli and agnolotti.
Booklet. If you activate the topic, you will have access to the PDF for the test report from the September issue.
Which tortelloni are the best?
Overall, the testers from Stiftung Warentest were impressed by the ready-made tortelloni tested: 13 out of 19 products in the tortelloni test are recommended as a quick meal and are rated as good. Supermarket products do not have to hide behind branded goods, as shown by the two test winners for meat tortelloni: Both achieve a very good rating in the sensory test (taste, smell, mouthfeel), but the private label costs only about half as much as the well-known branded product. Who knows, can save.
Too much chlorate – risky for the thyroid gland
The testers also gave bad grades, including a deficiency for a discounter’s ricotta and spinach tortelloni. Reason: They are very heavily contaminated with chlorate. Chlorate can inhibit iodine absorption, which can be a problem, especially for people with thyroid disorders.
Germs spoil the appetite
Two other products with ricotta and spinach filling contained enterobacteria. Both come from suppliers who strongly emphasize the Italian tradition in their production. The germ findings show that you should pay more attention to hygiene in the production process. An acute health risk from enterobacteria cannot be completely ruled out, but it is rather unlikely. These germs are usually killed in hot water. Germs are always a potential risk with fresh products. Most tortelloni have a limited shelf life: between 21 and 42 days. They belong in the refrigerator.
Fillers and flavor are not uncommon
Incidentally, the fillings for tortelloni from the refrigerated shelf are not just made of ricotta, beef or a cheese mixture. Fillers such as breadcrumbs, bamboo and chicory are also used, and not too little. Lidl and Giovanni Rana also use flavors, as does Hilcona in their conventional pasta. However, many providers show that it can also be done without adding flavors.
Tip: water bath better than microwave
To make a quick meal a pleasure, tortelloni shouldn’t be heated in the microwave. Experiments during the test showed that they then become dry. Better: let them steep in boiling water for a few minutes. A high-quality filling should not be overwhelmed by a dominant sauce. Butter, olive oil or a pesto are enough.
Cookbook with delicious recipes
Everyone loves pasta. Now they are becoming perfect – because our book Perfection Pasta leaves no question unanswered: Which flour for which type of pasta? How do you knead and roll the dough correctly? And which pasta goes well with which sauce? Our new cooking guide will appear on September 22, 2020, has 240 pages and is available for 29.90 euros in the test.de shop.
