Tortellini Sauce
This Creamy Tortellini Sauce has an Asiago and Parmesan cream sauce with browned butter, garlic, and the best blend of herbs and seasonings. Make this with frozen or refrigerated tortellini for a quick, gourmet-style meal.
Be sure to try my Ravioli Sauce and Baked Ravioli recipes next!
Tortellini Sauce
Now that we’ve nailed down the perfect ravioli sauce recipe, I think it’s time we make room for this incredible Tortellini Sauce. This sauce is speedy enough to be an easy weeknight meal, but it’s also fancy and indulgent enough for date night!
What Makes It Different
Browned butter adds a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that perfectly offsets the savory Parmesan and Asiago cheese. Smashed garlic cloves infuse the sauce with just the right amount of garlicky flavor and the simple blend of herbs and seasonings takes this sauce to the next level.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Smash the garlic cloves and add them to a deep, 12-inch skillet along with the butter. Melt the butter over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, swirl the pan often while it cooks for even coloring. Once it turns brown, add a splash of olive oil to prevent it from burning. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth in splashes and stir continuously.
Slowly stir in the half and half, then the seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Boil tortellini in a separate pot of salted water according to package instructions. Drain.
Reduce heat of the sauce to low and stir in the shredded Asiago and Parmesan cheese.
Add the drained tortellini to the skillet and stir to combine. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Pro Tips
- Browning the butter is optional, the flavor is very subtle but it does add a touch of gourmet. There is a fine line between browned butter and burnt butter. A splash of olive oil is added to mitigate burning it, but feel free to simply melt some butter and let it start to foam without browning it.
- Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese. Belgioioso is my brand of choice for the Parmesan and Asiago.
- All Parmesan cheese can be used or a combination of Parmesan and Romano if you don’t have Asiago.
- I use Rana 5-cheese tortellini for this recipe but a variety of options work well!
- Heavy cream may be used instead of half and half, the sauce will be thicker. A splash of milk can be used to thin it out slightly if desired.
- Sautéed mushrooms can be prepared in a separated skillet and mixed into the sauce at the end.
- 20 oz. ravioli can be used with this recipe as well.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 181 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Storage
- The flour in this sauce helps it to maintain it’s consistency when cooled and reheated.
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat it back to it’s original consistency, thaw it overnight and use a makeshift double boiler to reheat it on the stove top. I’ve found that to be the best way to reheat cream sauces.
- If you expect leftovers, I recommend that you store the sauce separately and boil fresh pasta for serving if possible.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
- Box Cheese Grater– Lets you finely shred the cheese. (Always shred from a block instead of using packaged shredded cheese.)
- Pasta Strainer– This is the one I use, it’s the perfect size.
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Tortellini Sauce
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, parsley
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, mustard powder, pepper
Sauce/Tortellini
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 splash olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- ½ cup asiago cheese, finely shredded
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 20 oz. tortellini, refrigerated or frozen. See notes
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
- As you continue with the following steps, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat the butter and smashed garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Lift the pan and swirl it around frequently as it cooks for even coloring. When it starts to turn brown, add a splash of olive oil. The light golden color of the butter will give it a subtle sweet, nutty flavor and the splash of olive oil will prevent the butter from burning.
- Add the flour and stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is cooked off.
- Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, while you cook the tortellini to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
- Reduce heat of the sauce to low and gradually stir in the parmesan and asiago cheese. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Add the drained tortellini and toss to combine. The sauce will continue to thicken upon standing. Serve!
Notes
- Browning the butter is optional, the flavor is very subtle but it does add a touch of gourmet. There is a fine line between browned butter and burnt butter. A splash of olive oil is added to mitigate burning it, but feel free to simply melt some butter and let it start to foam without browning it.
- Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese. Belgioioso is my brand of choice for the Parmesan and Asiago.
- All Parmesan cheese can be used or a combination of Parmesan and Romano if you don't have Asiago.
- I use Rana 5-cheese tortellini for this recipe but a variety of options work well!
- Heavy cream may be used instead of half and half, the sauce will be thicker. A splash of milk can be used to thin it out slightly if desired.
- Sautéed mushrooms can be prepared in a separated skillet and mixed into the sauce at the end.
- 20 oz. ravioli can be used with this recipe as well.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 181 of my 2nd cookbook, Let's Eat!
Storage
- The flour in this sauce helps it to maintain it’s consistency when cooled and reheated.
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat it back to it's original consistency, thaw it overnight and use a makeshift double boiler to reheat it on the stove top. I've found that to be the best way to reheat cream sauces.
- If you expect leftovers, I recommend that you store the sauce separately and boil fresh pasta for serving if possible.
Never (and I do mean never.) Have I 1) left a review for a recipe on a Bloggers site. If I did or didn’t like it, I just kept it moving even if it became a part of my recipe book. 2) came across such a perfect garlic sauce. I did tweak the recipe by doubling the seasoning and adding 3 menced garlic cloves in addition to the 3 smashes cloves, but left everything else the same. This will be used as my base recipe for sauces from here on out. It wasn’t too cheesy, salty, or anything. Perfection in a sauce. I highly recommend this recipe. This if food channel worthy and honestly the BEST recipe for any sauce I’ve ever recreated!
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the tortellini, Sauce. I love it too! Thanks again!💖
Delicious, I added mushrooms and spinach
Thanks Beth! Nice work!❤️
Super easy and quick to make with lots of flavour. My husband doesn’t like cream sauces but this won his approval!
I’m so happy this was a hit with your husband Jenn! Thanks so much for the review!❤️
This was great. I did have to make one modification and added 2 tbsp of sour cream bc I didn’t have cream of half/half. I’ve never made an alfredo sauce with all these spices and it was really great. Thank you.
I’m so happy that you loved the recipe Genny! I wanted this to be a bit of a leveled up alfredo, so I appreciate that you enjoyed the spices/seasonings! Thank you so much for the review! 🙂 -Stephanie
I LOVE this sauce! When it is fresh on the pasta. Do you think if I serve it at a party could I put the sauce on the side in a crockpot? I tried doing this and the sauce soaked right into pasta and it lost its creamy flavor.
Hi Colleen! I am not 100% sure if that would work as I haven’t tested it, but I think it would, if the sauce is kept on the “warm” setting and is stirred now and then! Just make sure it doesn’t get too hot.
I did not have asiago, so I subbed in some mozzarella, I also added in some seasoned chicken and a little cajun seasoning, and this recipe was a HUGE hit!! It was too good and I will be making it again!!
I’m sooo happy that you loved it Kristine, and I love that you played around with the cheeses based on what you had! Love the Cajun seasoning idea as well, thank you for sharing!
I have had pumpkin shaped butternut squash pasta sitting in my pantry waiting for the perfect sauce… this is it!! I knew you’d come through! I know it’s meant for tortellini (and I’ll definitely do that too!) but I’m so excited for dinner now!! Thanks! 🍁❤️
Hi Heather! WOW, this couldn’t possibly be more perfect! I am so happy this worked out- you are in for a fabulous dinner! 🙂 (I love that the pasta is pumpkin shaped!) 🎃
I made this sauce tonight and it was delicious, my husband is super impressed! I am not a confident cook but the recipe and instructions were great. We will definitely be having this again.
I am soo happy to hear that Carol, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a lovely review, you made my day! -Stephanie
Wowww this was absolutely amazing! The flavour of the sauce tastes like it’s cooked by a restaurant chef but it’s just cooked by…me 🙂 Husband loved it to. I halved the recipe (ish, wasn’t too precise tbh) and that worked as a side dish together with tender steak for 2 servings. I used emmental instead of asiago, worked fine. Will definitely make this again!
Wow sounds like such an amazing meal with the steak, yummm! Nice work, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
I’m trying this tonight for dinner..
Great!! I’d love to know how it comes out! 🙂