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Cheese Tortellini with Garlic White Wine Sauce

This easy cheese tortellini with garlic white wine sauce is ready to go in literally 20 minutes! Refrigerated, store-bought tortellini and a simple white wine cream sauce make this a quick vegetarian weeknight meal that your family will love!

White bowl filled with cheese tortellini tossed in a garlic white wine cream sauce


 

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White marble counter top with bowls of ingredients to make cheese tortellini with cream sauce

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Refrigerated Cheese Tortellini – Refrigerated tortellini allows you to get this dinner on the table in no time because it only needs to be boiled for 3-4 minutes! I like to use cheese stuffed tortellini but you can also try spinach, mushroom, chicken, or even sausage stuffed tortellini in this recipe!
  • Butter + Olive Oil – I use a combination of butter and olive oil because they each do a little something different. The butter is going to give that rich flavor, while the oil is going to allow the ingredients to saute at a higher smoke point without the butter browning.
  • Garlic – Freshly sliced garlic will give you the best flavor, but pre-minced garlic from a jar will work in a pinch as well.
  • Dried Oregano – The dried oregano can be replaced with dried thyme, dried rosemary, or dried sage. You could also sub Italian seasoning in its place.
  • White Wine – Stick with a wine that’s more on the dry side and one that you enjoy drinking. Personally, I prefer Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute veggie broth or chicken broth, but the flavor will be a bit different.
  • Grape Tomatoes – Grape or cherry tomatoes are nice and small, so they cook fast and add a nice little pop of fresh flavor to the sauce and overall dish.
  • Heavy Cream – Heavy cream thickens the sauce and create that luxurious texture. I prefer the flavor and texture of heavy cream, but you can sub with half and half, although the sauce will be a bit thinner.
  • Spinach + Arugula – These two together are a great flavor combo and pair really well with the pasta and white wine. Use whatever dark, leafy green you prefer.

Instructions

Melt butter with olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Saute garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper for about a minute.

White pan filled with olive oil butter garlic and herbs

Add the white wine and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

White pan filled with olive oil butter garlic herbs and white wine

Then add the tomatoes along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

White pan filled with olive oil butter garlic and tomatoes

Simmer for another 3 minutes.

Large white saute pan filled with ingredients to make cheese tortellini in cream sauce

Add mixed greens.

Large white saute pan filled with ingredients to make cheese tortellini in cream sauce

Stir until they wilt.

Tomatoes and spinach in a garlic white wine sauce

Stir in heavy cream.

Tomatoes and fresh spinach wilted in a garlic cream sauce

Add cooked tortellini.

Cheese tortellini along with sauce ingredients in a large white pan

Toss to coat evenly. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.

Large white pan filled with cheese tortellini tossed in garlic sauce

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan.

Tips

  • Always salt your pasta water. Salting your pasta water is the best way to boost the overall flavors of whatever pasta dish you’re making. It’s the first chance you have to season the pasta and I promise, once you start salting your pasta water, you’ll wonder how you ever did without! Add about 2-4 tablespoons Kosher salt to your large pot of boiling water before adding the uncooked pasta. Don’t worry about the pasta getting too salty – most of that salt goes down the drain when you strain the pasta anyway!
  • Feel free to switch up the ingredients in this pasta. You can use this recipe as a blueprint to clean out the fridge! Switch up the veggies and add sun-dried tomatoes with fresh basil and sliced zucchini or use leftover roasted broccoli with sautéed mushrooms. You can also skip the veggies alltogether for a simple creamy tortellini dish!

FAQ

Is cheese tortellini like ravioli?

Cheese tortellini is very similar to ravioli in that they are both stuffed pasta. However, tortellini is usually folded in a ring shape while ravioli is two layers of noodles sealed around the edges and is often square or circular. Both are usually stuffed with cheese, meat, seafood, or veggies.

What cheeses are in tortellini?

Cheese tortellini is traditionally filled with creamy ricotta cheese, aged Parmesan cheese, and Romano cheese. Some cheese tortellini also has mozzarella cheese or Asiago cheese.

Does cheese tortellini need to be cooked?

Yes! Most store-bought cheese tortellini needs to be cooked in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Their short cook time makes cheese tortellini perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal!

Can you buy cheese tortellini?

Yes! Cheese tortellini comes in packages in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. This is our family’s favorite brand.

White bowl filled with cheese tortellini tossed in a garlic white wine cream sauce

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

  • Make-Ahead: This recipe can be made up to a week in advance and then reheated throughout the week for a quick lunch or a simple dinner! Most people don’t think of pasta as a meal prep recipe but this tortellini is perfect for prepping ahead of time!
  • Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
  • Reheating: Reheat cheese tortellini in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of cream or broth to the pot to loosen up the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until the pasta is heated through. You can also zap it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time until heated through. Be sure to seaon to taste with salt and pepper before serving!

Family Favorite Pasta Recipes

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Cheese Tortellini with Garlic White Wine Sauce

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5 from 11 reviews

This easy cheese tortellini with garlic white wine sauce is ready to go in literally 20 minutes! Refrigerated, store-bought tortellini and a quick white wine cream sauce make this a simple vegetarian weeknight meal that your family will love!

  • Author: Kylie
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 20 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini, cooked al dente
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2–3 cups mixed greens (spinach + arugula)
  • Parmesan cheese + fresh chopped parsley for garnish
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until butter melts.
  2. Once the butter starts to sizzle, add garlic, oregano, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the white wine and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Then add the tomatoes along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and simmer for another 3 minutes.
  5. Add mixed greens and stir until they wilt.
  6. Stir in heavy cream.
  7. Add pasta and toss to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for just a minute or so until the pasta is warmed through.
  8. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Always salt your pasta water. Salting your pasta water is the best way to boost the overall flavors of whatever pasta dish you’re making. It’s the first chance you have to season the pasta and I promise, once you start salting your pasta water, you’ll wonder how you ever did without! Add about 2-4 tablespoons Kosher salt to your large pot of boiling water before adding the uncooked pasta. Don’t worry about the pasta getting too salty – most of that salt goes down the drain when you strain the pasta anyway!
  • Feel free to switch up the ingredients in this pasta. You can use this recipe as a blueprint to clean out the fridge! Switch up the veggies and add sun-dried tomatoes with fresh basil and sliced zucchini or use leftover roasted broccoli with sautéed mushrooms. You can also skip the veggies altogether for a simple creamy tortellini dish!

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