One Pot Marry Me Tortellini
The combination of cheese-filled tortellini, a creamy sauce, and those little bites of sun-dried tomatoes turned out so good that it immediately became one of those recipes I saved for busy nights and “I don’t feel like cooking” evenings.
Equipment
- Large deep skillet or sauté pan
- Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cheese grater
- Serving bowls or pasta plates
Ingredients
For the tortellini
- 20 oz cheese tortellini refrigerated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
For the sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes drained if packed in oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For finishing
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Extra parmesan for serving
Instructions
Sauté the garlic and build the flavor base
- Place your large skillet or deep sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter, then let the butter melt completely. Once it starts to lightly bubble, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Stir everything for about 30–60 seconds, just until the garlic smells fragrant. You want it softened, not browned.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir them into the garlic mixture for another minute so they release their flavor into the oil.
- Pro tip: Keep the heat at medium or slightly below — garlic burns quickly, and burnt garlic can make the whole sauce taste bitter.
Add the liquid ingredients
- Pour in the chicken broth first, then the heavy cream.
- Stir gently to combine everything and scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon to lift any flavorful bits stuck there.
- Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer. You should see small bubbles around the edges, not a rapid boil.
Cook the tortellini in the sauce
- Once the liquid is simmering, add the cheese tortellini directly into the pan.
- Gently stir so the tortellini is mostly covered by the liquid. It doesn’t have to be completely submerged — just make sure most of it touches the sauce.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.
- As it cooks, the tortellini will soften and release starch, which helps thicken the sauce naturally.
- Pro tip: Stir gently so the tortellini doesn’t tear open. A soft fold works better than aggressive stirring.
Stir in the parmesan
- Remove the lid and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add the grated parmesan a little at a time, stirring after each addition so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Keep stirring until the sauce looks creamy and slightly thickened.
- If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of broth. If it looks thin, let it simmer uncovered for another 1–2 minutes.
- Pro tip: Fresh parmesan melts much smoother than pre-shredded. It makes a noticeable difference here.
Add the spinach
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet in handfuls.
- Stir it gently into the hot pasta. It may look like a lot at first, but it wilts down quickly in about 1–2 minutes.
- Keep stirring until all the leaves are softened and evenly mixed into the sauce.
Finish and serve
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle in the chopped basil.
- Give everything one final stir so the basil blends into the creamy sauce.
- Let the tortellini sit for about 2 minutes before serving. This gives the sauce a little time to settle and thicken slightly.
- Spoon into bowls and top with extra parmesan if you like. I always add a little extra because it melts right into the hot pasta and makes it even better.
Notes
Nutritional Value (Approx. per serving)
- Calories: 510 kcal
- Protein: 17g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Cholesterol: 85mg
- Calcium: 260mg
- Iron: 2mg