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This creamy garlic butter sauce for tortellini is easy, quick and amazingly creamy. Make it with fresh or frozen tortellini for a quick restaurant-style meal. No flour required!
What is Tortellini?
Tortellini, which is Italian for “little cakes”, are delicious little filled pasta packages. They’re great for easy weeknight cooking, and because they are typically filled with meat, cheeses, or herbs, you can often forego chunky sauces and pursue something very simple.
For this sauce, we’ll be using some butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream and herbs to make a restaurant-style meal.
Best Sauce for Tortellini
One of the coolest things about this tortellini sauce is how quick and easy it is to make! Of course, it’s indulgent enough – and impressive enough – to fire up if you’ve guests over or a date night coming up. Like a lot of home-style Italian cooking, this is a versatile meal that is sure to please just about everyone who tries it.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
For a start, we’ll be using browned butter, which has a sweet, nutty flavor. This complements the Parmesan cheese we’re using as the source of umami flavor in the sauce. We’ll smash up some garlic cloves to bring that delicious flavor to the forefront, and, of course, using some simple herbs and seasonings to take this recipe from good to great.
You’ll Need
It is an easy to make tortellini sauce that requires only simple ingredients.
How To Make Tortellini Sauce
- First, you’ll want to smash your garlic cloves. Be sure to shell them first, and crush them using a knife, a rolling pin, the round edge of a spoon, or a mortar and pestle.
- Add your smashed garlic to a deep skillet with butter, melting the butter over medium heat, and stir for about five minutes. At that point you should have a noticeable garlic aroma rising from the skillet. Once the garlic and butter turns brown, throw in a lug of olive oil to keep it from burning.
- Next, you’ll stir in your heavy cream, add Parmesan and your seasoning. Bring this mixture to a boil, and then immediately reduce to a simmer, stirring as you go.
- Tortellini cooks really quickly, so at this point you’ll want to boil your tortellini in a separate pot full of salted water. You want the pasta water to be, as the Italians say, “as salty as the sea”. Once the tortellini has cooked, drain the pasta, but keep a small cup of the starchy pasta water on hand in case your sauce needs thinning out. Add your drained tortellini to the skillet, stirring to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of your leftover pasta water at a time, stirring through, to thin it out. If you’re happy with the sauce’s consistency, you can simply throw out the water.
Recipe Tips
- You don’t have to brown the butter. The difference in flavor is subtle, and unbrowned butter will work just fine. However, as any great cook will tell you, little differences are what separates good dishes from gourmet dishes. Remember that there’s a fine line between browned and burnt butter, which is why we use a splash of olive oil to prevent burning. You can, if you prefer, simply melt butter, allowing it to foam, without browning it.
- If you can, shred the cheese yourself from a block rather than using store-bought pre-shaved cheese. It will taste better, melt easier, and blocks of cheese are typically of a higher quality than the pre-grated bags.
- If you don’t have any Parmesan, that’s OK! You can substitute it for pecorino romano. Most of the salty, crumbly, hard Italian cheese have similar flavors and textures, but their depth of flavor varies based on region of origin and their aging period.
- You can use a classic four-cheese (look for quattro formaggio on the label) tortellini, to really make this an indulgent, cheesy treat. If you like, however, there are a variety of other tortellini you could try. Some have pumpkin, spinach, or even meat fillings, and they all work very well in this sauce.
- You could use half and half rather than heavy cream for this recipe, too. It will make your sauce thinner, however. If that happens, add 1 tablespoon flour ( mixed with water).
- If you want to really take this to the next level, try sauteeing some mushrooms in a different skillet with thyme and olive oil. Add them to the sauce at the end to bulk this dinner out. You could even try adding pancetta or bacon to the mushroom skillet!
Storing Tortellini
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw sauce overnight in the fridge and reheat gently using a double boiler to keep it creamy. For best results, store the sauce separately and cook fresh tortellini when reheating.
Garnishes
Like many creamy, savory dishes, you want to garnish with something bright and fresh. Typically, Italian restaurants will top a cheesy pasta dish with parsley. Its bright green color, and fresh flavor are wonderful balances for this delicious dinner.
Looking for more pasta sauces? Try these!!
If you want to make tortellini at home, be sure to check our Homemade Pasta Recipe and Homemade Chicken Tortellini.
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Best Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce for Tortellini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 35-36% fat
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 18 ounces 500 grams tortellini
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Begin boiling salted water for tortellini pasta. Cook your tortellini as per package instructions. Drain once cooked.
- Crush the garlic with the flat of your knife and the heel of your hand. Transfer it to a 10-inch (25 cm) heavy bottomed skillet together with the butter.
- As the butter melts, swirl it around for even coloring. Once it starts to turn brown, add olive oil to prevent butter from burning. Keep an eye on the butter as it goes from brown to burnt really quickly.
- Once it smells nutty, add the heavy cream, seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted, stirring continuously. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Add the cooked tortellini and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is fantastic I had to do things a little differently because once I got started I realized I didn’t have any shredded parmesan or olive oil so I used triple cheddar and some regular parmesan cheese like you put on pizzas in there I also added hamburger and onions on the side and just pour it on top of each other and it is absolutely delicious thank you so much!! I definitely will be making this again I love the garlic flavor cuz I love garlic…
That’s wonderful to hear Geri!!! Thank you so much for making it!
There was an Italian restaurant near my office that made delicious tortellini. I retired and moved away. This recipe is just as good as the recipe from the Italian restaurant. Thank you.
That’s wonderful to hear, Jo Ann Sherrin!!! Thank you so much for making it!
How could we add protein to this?
Hey Amy! Simply cook your choice of protein separately and then stir it into the creamy sauce when it’s done.
Do you just leave the large chunks of garlic in the sauce? Seems like that would be a shock to bite into
Hey Amber! Yes, the recipe calls for leaving the large garlic chunks in the sauce for a burst of flavor, but they mellow out during cooking. However, if you’re concerned about the intensity, you can mince the garlic for a more even distribution of flavor throughout the sauce.
This is my first time leaving a review for a recipe. I have to say this is phenomenal! I found it many months ago, have made it plenty of times, have brought it to family gatherings, and it never disappoints. Even my daughter, which is a picky eater, loves this. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hey Isabel! I’m thrilled to hear that this tortellini sauce recipe has been such a hit with you and your family! It’s always great to know that a recipe is not only enjoyed but also becomes a go-to for gatherings and pleases even the pickiest of eaters. Thank you for taking the time to leave your first review and for sharing your experience.
Definitely a treat meal, but this was delicious! Recipe is quick and easy to prepare and is full of flavor. This one is a keeper!
Hi Tina! I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s definitely a keeper for those special occasions. Thank you for trying it out!
Some friends invited us round for dinner and served this delicious sauce over tortellini, with salad and garlic bread. Delightful! Five Stars! I had to have the recipe, it’s a keeper.
Hi Daphne! It sounds like you had a wonderful dinner experience! I’m glad to hear that the sauce over tortellini was a hit and that the meal earned five stars from you.Thank you for sharing your positive experience, and I hope you enjoy making and serving it just as much in the future!
Seriously the best pasta sauce I have ever made. Not sure what that says about me but JEEZ this will be my go-to from now on! I’ve tried so many for tortellini and all were just MEH. This one is a WINNER. Thank you!
Hi Holly! It’s wonderful that it stood out among the others you’ve tried. Thank you for sharing such fantastic feedback! 😊
Fabulous! Quick, easy and wonderfully delicious. I only had 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan but it was perfect to me. This review is coming from a old picky Italian woman, too. 😉
Hi, LaRee! I’m glad to hear it was a hit, especially coming from someone with such discerning taste! Using one cup of Parmesan and finding it perfect just shows cooking really is all about personal preference. Thanks for sharing your experience! 😊
If you don’t have Parmesan, can you use asiago
It’s not too often that the whole family agrees on dinner. This is by far our favorite dish!
Hi, Donna! I’m so happy to hear that the whole family enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing that this dish has become a favorite in your home! 😊