Tortellini: filled pasta with almost no studies of its own

We found no study that tested tortellini, so this page leans on pasta. The strongest evidence is a meta-analysis of 32 trial comparisons in 2,448 adults, where pasta eaten within low-glycemic diets lowered body weight by 1.4 lb (95% CI 0.93 to 1.9; metric: 0.63 kg, 0.42 to 0.84) against higher-glycemic diets over 3 weeks or more. The authors found no trial of pasta on its own, and none used filled pasta. The nearest filled pasta anyone measured is meat ravioli with cheese. In 20 healthy young adults on glucose monitors, blood glucose after it took up to 210 minutes to return to baseline, longer than the 120-minute window used for glycemic index, in a study that was not randomized. Cooked cheese tortellini without sauce has 236 calories and 10.4 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) in US survey data. A cup of 5.3 oz (150 g), about 30 pieces, carries about 354 calories before any sauce.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• By US survey data cooked cheese tortellini without sauce has 236 calories, 10.4 g protein, 5.6 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate and 156 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA FNDDS, Tortellini, cheese-filled, no sauce, fdc_id 2708792 Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 236 calories, protein 10.38 g, fat 5.56 g, carbohydrate 36.15 g, sodium 156 mg
• Fresh refrigerated cheese tortellini as bought carries 13.5 g protein, 23.9 ug selenium and 117 ug folate per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the USDA reference table. — USDA SR Legacy, Tortellini, pasta with cheese filling, fresh-refrigerated, as purchased, FDC 172094 Evidence E source
  Per 100 g uncooked: protein 13.5 g, selenium 23.9 ug, folate 117 ug

What a real portion looks like

• In US survey portions a cup of cheese tortellini weighs 5.3 oz (150 g), about 30 pieces of 5 g, and carries about 354 calories and 15.6 g protein before any sauce. — USDA FNDDS, Tortellini, cheese-filled, no sauce, portions Evidence E source
  1 cup 150 g: 354 calories, protein 15.6 g, fat 8.3 g, carbohydrate 54.2 g, sodium 234 mg; 1 piece 5 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized study in 12 healthy adults, boiling pasta for 11, 16.5 or 22 minutes made no significant difference to blood glucose, insulin or starch absorption. — 12 healthy adults, pasta meals with 50 g starch cooked 11, 16.5 or 22 min, random order (n = 12) Evidence B source
  No significant differences in plasma indices, orocecal transit or breath hydrogen between cooking times
• In a continuous glucose monitoring study in 20 healthy adults, blood glucose after meat ravioli with cheese took up to 210 minutes to return to baseline, longer than the 120 minutes used for glycemic index. — 20 healthy adults (mean age 22), 10 foods eaten on separate occasions over 9 days (n = 20) Evidence C source
  Glycemia back to baseline within 210 min for meat ravioli with cheese, vs within 120 min for honey and tomato soup

Safety, limits and interactions

• According to the CDC, Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems. — pregnant women, adults 65 and older, immunocompromised people Evidence E source
  Higher risk of severe listeriosis

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a randomized crossover pilot in 14 healthy men, 3.5 oz (100 g) of slowly processed pasta gave the same glucose, insulin and incretin response as normally processed pasta. — 14 healthy men, two mixed meals with 100 g pasta, 10 g olive oil, 10 g parmesan, 180 min follow-up (n = 14) Evidence B source
  Glucose tolerance, insulin and incretin responses unaffected; insulin curve mildly delayed

What is still unknown

• A meta-analysis of 32 trial comparisons in 2,448 adults found pasta within low-glycemic diets lowered body weight by 1.4 lb (0.63 kg) versus higher-GI diets, and no trial tested pasta on its own. — 32 RCT comparisons, 2,448 adults, trials of 3 weeks or longer (n = 2448) Evidence A source
  Body weight -1.4 lb (95% CI -1.9 to -0.93; metric: -0.63 kg, -0.84 to -0.42); BMI -0.26 kg/m2 (-0.36 to -0.16)

The bottom line

Two common questions about plain pasta have small trials behind them. In 12 healthy adults, boiling dried pasta for 11, 16.5 or 22 minutes made no significant difference to blood glucose, insulin or starch absorption, in a study from 1990. In 14 healthy men, slowly processed pasta gave the same glucose, insulin and incretin response as normally processed pasta after a single meal. Neither trial used a filling. Fresh refrigerated cheese tortellini, weighed before cooking, gives 13.5 g protein, 23.9 micrograms of selenium and 117 micrograms of folate per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the USDA reference table. These values fall on boiling as the pasta takes up water. The cooked, unsauced cup carries 234 mg sodium. Who should be careful. The CDC says Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems. That sentence comes from a notice about a 2025 outbreak tied to precooked pasta in prepared meals, and tortellini was not named. We have no card on allergy for this page, so it cannot tell you what is in the dough or the filling of a given brand. The label can.

Sources

1. trtl-r4-05 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2708792 Tortellini, cheese-filled, no sauce (code 58134680): Energy 236 kcal · Protein 10.38 g · Total lipid (fat) 5.56 g · Carbohydrate, by difference 36.15 g · Sodium, Na 156 mg per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 58134680 · checked 2026-10-01
2. trtl-r4-07 · reference dataset
   SR Legacy 172094 Tortellini, pasta with cheese filling, fresh-refrigerated, as purchased: Protein 13.5 g · Selenium 23.9 µg · Folate, total 117 µg per 100 g
   USDA SR Legacy 2018, FDC 172094 · checked 2026-10-01
3. trtl-r4-06 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2708792: 1 cup 150 g · 1 piece 5 g · per cup Energy 354.0 kcal · Protein 15.6 g · Total lipid 8.3 g · Carbohydrate 54.2 g · Sodium 234.0 mg
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 58134680 · checked 2026-10-01
4. trtl-r4-02 · randomized controlled trial
   The influence of pasta cooking time on starch digestion and plasma glucose and insulin responses was studied in 12 healthy subjects. ... No significant differences were found between cooking times and plasma indices, orocecal transit time, or incremental hydrogen excretion (delta peak hydrogen).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1990 · checked 2026-10-01
5. trtl-r4-04 · clinical trial
   Twenty healthy subjects (mean +/- SE; 21.9 +/- 1.39 years of age; body mass index 23.6 +/- 0.63 kg/m(2); 7 men and 13 women) completed the study. ... Glycemia returned to baseline within 120 minutes for honey and tomato soup; within 210 minutes for white bread, choco-rice cookies, fish and potatoes, wafers, and meat ravioli with cheese
   J Diabetes Sci Technol, 2010 · checked 2026-10-01
6. trtl-r4-08 · agency guidance
   Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women and people who are 65 or older or who have weakened immune systems.
   CDC, Listeria Outbreak Linked to Prepared Pasta Meals, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
7. trtl-r4-03 · randomized controlled trial
   A total of 14 healthy male volunteers underwent two different mixed-meal tests in a randomized order. One meal was composed of 100 g of normally processed pasta and the other 100 g of slowly processed pasta. ... Glucose tolerance, insulin, and incretin response were unaffected by the two different pasta types.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-10-01
8. trtl-r4-01 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   We identified no trial comparisons of the effect of pasta alone and 32 trial comparisons (n=2448 participants) of the effect of pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns. Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns significantly reduced body weight (MD=-0.63 kg; 95% CI -0.84 to -0.42 kg) and BMI (MD=-0.26 kg/m2; 95% CI -0.36 to -0.16 kg/m2) compared with higher-GI dietary patterns.
   BMJ Open, 2018 · checked 2026-10-01