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This creamy tomato tortellini recipe is so easy to make in one pan for a fast and comforting weeknight dinner with barely any clean-up!
Don’t have any tortellini on hand? Try my Super Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta instead.
Why you’ll love it
I can’t resist a silky tomato sauce for pasta from scratch. It’s just so cozy and is the epitome of a homecooked meal that just feels special and like it came from a restaurant. Pairing it with cheesy tortellini makes it as delicious as it is simple to throw together!
This tortellini with a tomato cream sauce is definitely going to be a winner with the kids as well. Sometimes the most basic recipes are the most satisfying, especially for picky eaters, and with this one you’ll never have a reason to open up a jar of store-bought pasta sauce ever again.
Ingredients for it
- Cheese tortellini – I used the refrigerated kind, not the dry kind found in the pasta aisle, to make this a one pan meal. If using the dry kind, boil it first separately and cook the sauce a bit longer prior to adding the tortellini so it thickens up.
- Butter – for sautéing
- Garlic – if you’re a garlic lover, add some more. I like to use my handy garlic press to mince it since you don’t even need to peel the cloves.
- Tomato paste – to add lots of concentrated tomato flavor and richness
- Tomato sauce – for my UK readers, tomato sauce is similar to passata
- Heavy cream – it gives the sauce a luxurious restaurant-worthy quality
- Italian seasoning – this is my go-to dried herb blend for sauces since it’s just so tasty and conveniently in a single jar!
- Parmesan cheese – definitely recommended to take it over the top. I always grate mine from a block with my Microplane for ultimate freshness and texture.
How to make creamy tomato tortellini
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a deep skillet, sauté the garlic in the butter for about a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream, and Italian seasoning. Whisk until you’ve got a smooth sauce.
- Stir in the tortellini, and then cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Test to see if the pasta is done, and cook it for a little longer if needed.
- Season with salt & pepper and enjoy with some freshly parmesan grated over top. That’s it!
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream with something that has a lower fat content (e.g. half-and-half or milk) as it may curdle due to the acid in the tomatoes. You could try coconut milk for a dairy-free option, but I have not tested it.
- This is a fairly basic recipe, so you can definitely play with it! Adding in some fresh herbs like basil would work especially well, for example, or change up the variety of tortellini.
- The sauce thickens up quite quickly as the tortellini cook and release their starch. If the sauce gets too thick at any point, add in a bit more cream or some chicken or vegetable broth to thin it out.
Pro tip
- An old chef’s trick is to add a pinch of sugar to tomato sauces to cut the acidity. It balances it out without making it sweet. Feel free to do that here if your sauce is a bit too acidic for your tastes!
What to serve with this recipe
- I’m a big fan of serving any pasta with a big slice of Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- If you’d like to pair it with a salad, try some mixed greens with this simple Italian dressing, or this Arugula Salad with Fennel and Cheese is a slightly fancier option.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this tortellini recipe will keep just fine in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Simply reheat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, over a low heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it in 30-second increments.
- I wouldn’t suggest freezing this one. Dairy generally won’t hold up after thawing.
Questions about this easy tortellini recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Creamy Tomato Tortellini
Ingredients
- 2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once it melts, add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, stirring constantly.
- Add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream, and Italian seasoning. Stir/whisk until it's nice and smooth.
- Stir in the tortellini (no need to boil it first). Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- If the tortellini is still a little firm, continue cooking it for another few minutes (stoves and pans vary). If needed, increase the heat a bit. If the sauce thickens/reduces too much (the pasta releases starch, thickening the sauce as it cooks), add another splash of cream or a little chicken/veg broth.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed (I'm fairly generous with both).
- Serve immediately with plenty of parmesan cheese grated over top.
Notes
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream with something that has a lower fat content as it may curdle due to the acid in the tomatoes.
- Since this is a one pan meal and the tortellini isn’t cooked ahead of time, be sure to use the refrigerated variety of tortellini… not the dry stuff found in the pasta aisle.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I loved this. For some reason mine felt like a lot of sauce compared to pasta.i followed the recipe exactly. Any recommendations?
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Alaina! Is it possible you used different sizes of products than I did? I think packaging sizes can vary a bit regionally. With that said, I don’t think lots of sauce is necessarily a bad thing (especially for leftovers), but you could cook it a bit longer and the sauce will get thicker as the pasta releases some starch – that may help a bit. You could always experiment making a bit less sauce next time if you really need to.
I couldn’t believe how flavorful this was for how simple and fast it was to make!
I did start by adding 1lb of ground Italian sausage in the pan, but otherwise followed exactly.
Thanks for another great & easy recipe!
I’m so happy you liked it!! 😀 Love the sausage addition. Appreciate your review, Lucy!
Excellent!
I was looking for a meal by ingredients.
No tomato paste, and extra tomato sauce. Also got carried away with garlic and added some chicken breast pieces.
5 stars
Thank you so much, Linda!!
Hi! Could I sub jarred marinara sauce for the tomato sauce and pate? I have the rest of the ingredients. Thanks!
That should be fine! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Made this and LOVED IT!! Added some ground Italian sausage and fresh zucchini from our garden and it was amazing!!
I’m thrilled to hear that!
This is a great recipe! It makes for really great leftovers for lunches during the week!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Donna! 😀
Absolutely delicious!!! No leftovers!!
I used chicken mozzarella tortellini’s & a can of fire roasted tomatoes 🥫drained INSTEAD of tomato paste then added big handful of fresh spinach & fresh basil. Definitely a new favorite❣️
Fantastic!! Thank you!