Easy Garlic Alfredo Tortellini
So simple, so easy, and just amazingly creamy. Best of all, it comes together in just 20 min from start to finish!
Three-cheese tortellini are smothered in a homemade alfredo sauce. And the best part about this? No, it’s not the epic cheesy-garlic goodness. Or the creaminess that just melts away in your mouth. It’s that it comes together in just 20 min from start to finish.
Seriously. It’s just that quick and easy. No joke. But the secret ingredient here is the fresh tortellini. Dry tortellini can be used but the fresh ones just taste so much better, and cuts the cooking time right in half. Either way, I recommend doubling this recipe or else you’ll be fighting for seconds!
Easy Garlic Alfredo Tortellini
So simple, so easy, and just amazingly creamy. Best of all, it comes together in just 20 min from start to finish!
Ingredients
- 1 9-ounce package refrigerated three cheese tortellini
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, or more, as needed
- ½ cup half and half*
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini according to package instructions; drain well.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk and half and half, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in cheeses until melted, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in tortellini and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
*Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
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Really quick recipe and great creamy flavor. My son loved it and wanted seconds.
Very creamy, lightly cheesy, great alfredo flavour. I put two large garlic cloves in and wanted it a bit more garlicy so I added about a tsp granulated garlic but that’s personal taste. Adheres very well to the tortellini. Easy to make. Fantastic texture / mouth feel. Yes, I can see how it could be easily adapted to include chicken or ham or bacon or veggies. I have made alfredo from a number of different recipes and this is one of the nicest. So simple with the packaged fresh three cheese tortellini that was waiting for the right sauce.
Had anyone added chicken?
Just made this tonight as directed and it is delicious! The red pepper flakes add just the right amount of kick. Liked the idea of adding veggies as other reviewers suggested, so going to add peas to the leftovers. Thanks for another great and easy recipe!
My family loves this! I doubled the recipe because I had 20-ounce tortellini and added frozen peas at the end. We loved the cheese and wanted more but felt so full we had to save it for tomorrow!
I have made this sooo many times and it doesn’t get old. I throw in honey garlic sausage and spinach… amazing. Thanks for the recipe!!!!
This was so easy to make and the result was nothing short of delicious!
This Alfredo sauce was terribly bland. I followed every step to a T. I don’t understand all the positive reviews. It is extremely bland, truly less flavor than jars you get from the grocery store and painfully rich. We ended up tossing it out and just using olive oil and grated parm, so not a total loss. I LOVE the idea of tortellini with Alfredo, YUM!
…Just not this Alfredo.
My goodness! What we have is the neat Alfredo sauce I’ve EVER tasted! Will make with chicken and broccoli next time. Not sure why people keep mentioning peas but maybe someday.
I saw a review with 1 star and the fact they were saying it was bland hopefully had a covid test because clearly the taste buds are being affected!
Tasty and simple. I added a little more flour and switched out basil for the parsley, and it was really nice. First time I’ve made an alfredo sauce.
Really great recipe. So easy to make. I accidentally used a 19oz bag of frozen tortellini after not reading the recipe and found that amount of pasta to be just perfect for us. Will be adding this to our regular rotation!
Would it be ok with cauliflower instead of broccoĺi?
Bev, there is no broccoli in this recipe but either broccoli or cauliflower would be great additions!
This dish is easy to prepare and oh so delicious! The only thing I did different was add green peas. Had just the right amount of kick and a very rich and creamy meal in one.
Thanks for sharing!
I just made this I used mozzarella for my Alfredo sauce and sprinkled the dish with crisp bacon bits and sautéed mushrroms. Omgosh superb!
This is delicious! I added shrimp and baby spinach! Such an easy recipe, too.
This looks delicious! If I use a family size 20 oz package of tortellini, should I just double the remaining ingredients?
Yes, that should work just fine.
Has any one put this in a crock pot and for a side dish at a party? Any tricks?
Thanks in advance.
You have cream cheese in the ingredient list but not in the directions.
Please refer to step #4:
4. Stir in cheeses until melted, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in tortellini and gently toss to combine.
This recipe looks amazing.
What am I able to use instead of half and half?
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Nothing subtle about it. Damn delicious! I added peas. I boiled these with the tortellini. Bookmarked and pinned this treasure and will make it again.
I’ve tried a few of your recipes and they have been very flavorful and deliscious, thanks you so much as I am not a great cook
Looks good! Has anyone made it just using whole milk? My cream expired