Costco Kirkland Five Cheese Tortelloni Review
Author’s Note: As per always, this is not a paid review. These are my own silly opinions. I have no affiliation with Costco.
Not a blank slate, but a versatile one.
One of my readers asked me to review this, so here I am. My greedy stomach had nothing to do with this decision, of course.
Well, what is it?
Costco’s Five Cheese Tortelloni is a staple “Kirkland” store-brand product. At my store, it’s one of those things that is continuously available, and seemingly never out of stock. This is a twin-pack of refrigerated, semi-fresh, cheese-filled pasta. What’s a tortelloni, you ask? It’s essentially a larger, cheese-stuffed version of a tortellini. These aren’t very big, tho. Behold:
The pasta shell
After cooking, the egg pasta texture is beautifully delicate. While thin, it has a tender-firm, structured bite that is both sophisticated and satisfying. (It’s almost as delicate as the imported Scoiattolo Truffle Ravioli I previously reviewed.) The minimal pasta wrapper allows the filling flavors to steal the show.
The filling
This is wildly flavorful filling. My eyeballs did a happy little eyeroll when I popped the first bite into my mouth. There are five cheeses total here: Ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mascarpone, Mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano (from sheep’s milk). I think the most distinct notes are from the authentic Parmigiano Reggiano (aka, “the only parmesan”), which has that aged tang. It’s rich, with a deep cheesiness that really pops. This flavor is almost too good to be true. Perhaps because it is. More about the ingredients later.
I liked the filling texture. It’s creamy and soft, but concentrated. Smooth, but thick. The ingredients include breadcrumbs, chicory root, and potato-stuff, to give it this almost fluffy-but-thick satisfaction. Fortunately, (unlike Aldi’s Mushroom Tortelloni) Costco’s rendition has much more cheese-taste than breadcrumbs.
I ate my tortelloni with Costco’s equally famous Kirkland Basil Pesto. And I added some Jones Organic Chicken Sausage, which was a magical pairing. There’s something about sausage that really brings out the other flavors. *chef’s kiss* Stay tuned for a review of this sausage.
Ingredients in Costco Kirkland Five Cheese Tortelloni
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the label:
- Filling: Ricotta (Whey, Milk, Cream, Vinegar), Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (Cow’s Milk, Salt, Rennet), Mascarpone Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Pasteurized Cream), Mozzarella Cheese (Pasteurized Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Yeast, Salt), Chicory Root Fiber, Pecorino Romano Cheese (Cultured Sheep’s Milk, Salt, Rennet), Cornstarch, Potato Fiber, Potato Starch, Dehydrated Potatoes, Vegetable Fiber, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of Salt
- Pasta: Semolina, Eggs, Water
Well, it’s always a bit weird to see flavorful foods fall back on added “Natural Flavors” to make them flavorful. I was hoping it was all cheese flavor. From actual cheese. Alas. Am I still gonna eat it? You bet!
More information from the label:
- No preservatives
- Made in the USA
Nutrition Facts
A serving is one cup (100 grams) and contains 270 calories. There are 8 grams of fat (5 grams saturated fat) and 13 grams of protein. You get 37 grams total carbohydrates. I was surprised by the 3 grams of fiber, but they are not unwelcome! There’s also 3 grams of sugars (0 grams “added sugars”). Plus 15% your daily value of calcium. And 22% your daily value of sodium.
Price and Servings
There are supposed to be 14 servings in the twin-pack. Or, 7 servings per compartment. I managed a modest 5 servings, but it would be closer to 4 if you want restaurant-sized meals. So that would be 8 large servings total in the entire twin-pack. Just trying to manage expectations!
Anyway. The 3 pound package cost $13 at my local Costco. At the stated 14 servings, this would be 93 cents per serving. If you only get 8 servings, the price is $1.63 per plate. Still pretty good.
This is a “Kirkland Signature” (Costco store-brand) product, and the item# is: 818073.
Shelf Life
Since this is a refrigerated product, it has a somewhat shorter shelf life. Mine had a “best by” date that allowed about 2 months to consume, unopened. This is where the two individually-sealed compartments come in handy; I can open them 2 months apart, and not be rushing to eat all of this pasta at once. Not that I wouldn’t want to eat it all at once. But my waistline says, “please, no.”
The package isn’t resealable, so I stored my uncooked pasta in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.
Cooking Instructions
It takes just two minutes to cook this. Minus however long it takes to boil the water. I fished out each fragile tortelloni with a slotted spoon. None of my pasta babies exploded or fell apart while cooking, which impressed me.
Cooking from frozen
Conveniently, you can also cook this from frozen, by boiling for just 1 minute longer. The package says it can be frozen for one month.
Re-heating leftovers
I did refrigerate cooked leftovers, and microwaved them later. This is OK, but not as awesome as freshly boiled. The pasta seems to start drying out immediately, and it gets slightly chewy. Mixing it into the sauce before refrigerating helps.
Dramatic Conclusion
It’s dang good pasta. I loved the rich flavors and delicate textures. Quick and easy to cook, and versatile for sauces and protein add-ins. I wish Costco also sold other flavors, like BJ’s does — sausage tortelloni sounds pretty sweet!
The End.
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