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Tortellini Alfredo

This Tortellini Alfredo recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make with sauce that’s restaurant quality! It’s easy to add broccoli or leftover chicken for a dinner that your family will love.

Be sure to serve this with a side of my Garlic Bread with Cheese.

A wooden spoon in a skillet filled with Tortellini Alfredo with broccoli.

Tortellini Alfredo

A few years ago, I was lucky to the best Alfredo sauce recipe from Olive Garden, and since then, life has been pretty wonderful. This is definitely one of my favorite 30-minute meals on the blog. (And it actually takes less than 30 minutes!)

Although you can pair this with any kind of pasta you have on hand, Tortellini has to be my favorite because, well, it’s cheese-filled. 😉

(Unless we’re talking about my Chicken Alfredo Bake, in which case, I love using shells.)

Alright- let’s do this.

Ingredients

The bottom of this post also contains recipe card with ingredients and full instructions.

  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 20 oz. refrigerated Tortellini, Rana 5-cheese tortellini is my favorite, but any variety will work!

Alfredo Sauce

  • 6 Tablespoons high quality butterCabot is my preferred brand.
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups half and half 
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated from a block and at room temperature
  • ½ cup Romano cheese, grated from a block and at room temperature
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley, to garnish

How to Make It

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Melting butter in a skillet and adding minced garlic for Alfredo Sauce.

Whisk in the flour. Slowly add in the half and half, continue to whisk. Increase heat slightly and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low.  

Adding flour and cream to a skillet with butter to make Alfredo sauce

Gradually sprinkle in grated cheese and whisk to incorporate. Let it continue to heat on low while you prepare the pasta.

A skillet with cheese being added to Alfredo sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tortellini and boil for 4 minutes. (Confirm cooking time on package.) Drain.

Add the broccoli and pasta to the Alfredo sauce. Stir to combine and serve. The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.

A skillet with Tortellini and broccoli being added to alfredo sauce.

Pro Tips

  • Use high-quality butter for this recipe. Mince your own garlic, and shred the cheese from a block for best results.
  • A pound of dry pasta may be used instead of tortellini. I like to use 3/4 of a pound for extra saucy pasta.
  • This is a great meal to use with leftover chicken.
  • I don’t recommend using milk instead of half + half, as the lower fat content can cause it to curdle.
  • Serve this with a side of garlic bread with cheese.
  • Any filling option is fine when selecting your tortellini. Sun-dried tomato and pesto, spinach, or tomato basil make great alternatives to cheese-filled.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

The BEST Way to Reheat:

I recommend reheating this with an easy homemade double boiler. Just fill a metal or glass bowl with leftover pasta and place it over a pot of steaming water, ensuring that it fits snuggly. The bowl will reheat slowly and evenly, and this will reheat the pasta nicely, as close as possible back to its original state.

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A close up view of cheesy Tortellini with Broccoli in Alfredo sauce.

Tortellini Alfredo

5 from 12 ratings
This Tortellini Alfredo recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make with sauce that's restaurant quality! It's easy to add broccoli or leftover chicken for a dinner that your family will love.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 20 oz. refrigerated Tortellini, *see notes

Alfredo Sauce

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, high quality
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups half and half
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and at room temperature
  • ½ cup Romano cheese, grated and at room temperature
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley, to garnish

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
  • Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the half and half, whisking constantly.
  • Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
  • Slowly sprinkle in the cheeses, continuing to whisk. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the tortellini and cook for 4 minutes. (Confirm cooking time on package.)
  • Drain the tortellini and broccoli and add to the Alfredo sauce, stir to combine.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve!

Notes

*I like to use Rana refrigerated 5-cheese Tortellini (any alternative filling option is also fine!) It only takes 4 minutes to cook and these instructions are based on that timeframe. If an alternative brand is used, refer to the package for cooking time. The broccoli takes 5-6 minutes to boil.

Any kind of pasta may be used as an alternative to Tortellini.

Alfredo sauce isn’t meant to be too thick, but if you prefer for it to thicken more, let it continue to simmer and reduce slightly prior to adding the tortellini.

Nutrition

Calories: 643kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 808mg, Potassium: 316mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1161IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 475mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

A wood spoon scooping up Tortellini Alfredo with broccoli from a skillet.

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40 comments on “Tortellini Alfredo”

  1. Would I be able to freeze this to make it as a meal prep? 

  2. Ohhhhh YUMMMMM!  May I use heavy whipping cream instead of half and half? If so, same amount? I can’t wait to try this! Thank you!

    • You can! It’ll be a touch thicker but you can reserve some pasta water after you cook the tortellini and you can add a splash if you’d like to thin the sauce out a little bit! 🙂

  3. Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh? Should I let it thaw first? Can’t wait to try this!!

    • Hi Bert!! You can definitely use frozen broccoli, no need to thaw it first but I’d give it an extra minute or two in the boiling water before you add the tortellini! Enjoy!

  4. This is my favorite!! I add a little salt and some rotisserie chicken. Serve with garlic bread. My go-to recipe!

    • Sounds like a delicious meal with the rotisserie chicken and garlic bread, yummm😋 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Jessica💖

  5. Added spinach and some bacon – it was delicious!

    • I’m so happy that it was a hit, I love adding spinach too!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I SO appreciate it!! -Stephanie 🙂

  6. Made this recipe last minute as I forgot to defrost meat for dinner and I had all of the ingredients on hand. OMG, it was delicious! It came together quickly and everyone loved it. I highly recommend it and will definitely be adding to my dinner rotation.

    • I’m sooo happy that it worked out for you in a pinch Ann Marie, I love it when that happens! WOO!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie

  7. My family loved this! Came out perfect! My granddaughter is expecting and I would like to make it ahead of time, can this be frozen!

    • Hi Debbie! I am so happy that your family loved it! You can freeze the Alfredo Sauce, but I would boil fresh tortellini for serving! 🙂 The best way to reheat the sauce is over a makeshift double boiler!

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