Creamy tortellini with broccoli is a quick and easy recipe. It combines convenience and fresh ingredients to make an outstanding pasta dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It features plump cheese tortellini and vibrant steamed broccoli covered with a light parmesan cream sauce.
We lighten up the cream sauce for the tortellini using 2% reduced fat milk instead of using whole milk or cream. It makes a nice, light sauce that gets plenty of flavor from the garlic, spices, and parmesan cheese.
Broccoli is the go-to vegetable at my house. It’s versatile and easy to prepare. In this recipe it’s steamed and combined with pasta in a creamy parmesan sauce. Try this broccoli mac and cheese for a twist on a classic. And if you are looking for a quick side dish, make roasted broccoli and this tasty stir fried broccoli.
This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Pasta – We use dry tortellini for this recipe. Look for it in the pasta section of larger supermarkets or online. Fresh tortellini can be substituted, be sure to not overcook it. I like the dry tortellini because it has a longer shelf life than fresh. It keeps in the pantry and comes in handy for easy dinners. Grab a couple of bags, use one in this recipe and the extra bag on comforting baked tortellini.
- Produce – Fresh broccoli works best for this recipe. If you must use frozen broccoli cook it to the lowest recommended setting and drain well. Then arrange it on a paper towel and pat the top dry with another paper towel to remove excess moisture. In addition, you will need garlic cloves.
- Dairy/refrigerated – Butter, regular or unsalted. Reduced fat or Whole milk for the sauce. And for the parmesan cheese I use pre-grated for convenience but of course fresh grated will work well.
- Seasoning – The cream sauce is simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. We also need extra salt for the pasta water.
- Pantry – All purpose flour is used as a thickener for the creamy parmesan sauce.
- Optional garnish – Crushed red pepper, chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and thyme (not pictured)
- See recipe card for quantities and preparation method.
Steaming broccoli instructions
- If you are starting with steam-in- the-bag variety cook it to package directions.
- To steam on the stove, add about ½ inch of water and the broccoli to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reaches the desired tenderness.
- To steam in the microwave, add the broccoli to a microwave safe bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover it with a microwave safe plate and cook on high for one minute at a time until it reaches the desired tenderness (usually 3-5 minutes total). Be careful when lifting the plate to check on it because there will be steam accumulated.
Regardless of the method used to cook the broccoli, open/uncover after cooking to let the steam escape. Drain well.
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water so it will be boiling when it’s time to cook the pasta.
- Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stir often.
- Next, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir almost constantly.
- Slowly add the milk while stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth.
- Let it come to a simmer. Stir occasionally while waiting.
- When it’s simmering, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta following package directions for al dente and steam the broccoli to the desired tenderness (see above if you need directions).
- Add the parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir well until the ingredients are combined.
- Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
- Lastly, add the tortellini and broccoli to the creamy sauce, stir well. Cover the skillet and warm gently for 2-5 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish with extra parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, or fresh herbs, if desired.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Protein like chicken, shrimp, and salmon will pair nicely with this recipe. Cook the protein separately and add it at the end with the cooked tortellini and the steamed broccoli.
We use dry tortellini because it has a long shelf life, so we have it on hand when we need it to whip up a tasty dish. Refrigerated and frozen tortellini can also be used. Cook them to package directions and drain them well.
Use gentle heat to keep cream sauces from separating. Let them come to a simmer slowly, don’t crank the heat. Then, once it is simmering lower the heat further, so it doesn’t boil. A low and slow simmer is all that is needed.
Storing and reheat instructions
Let the broccoli tortellini cool and store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place it in a freezer-safe container and refrigerate until it is chilled. Then, transfer it to the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen pasta in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat in the microwave until hot all the way through. Alternatively, place the desired portion in a saucepan and heat on medium-low until hot. Stir occasionally. You can also place it in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F until heated through. Regardless of the reheating method add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to loosen.
Heat leftovers to at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Can’t get enough creamy pasta recipes? Neither can we! Here are a few more to choose from.
- Chicken Tetrazzini - In this classic dish, cooked chicken is combined with mushrooms and spaghetti in a creamy sauce.
- Creamy Pasta with Chicken - Penne pasta is tossed with a creamy sauce loaded with grape tomatoes and greens. Then it’s topped with pan-fried chicken cutlets.
- Ham and Cheese Casserole - In this recipe, pasta is covered with a creamy béchamel sauce, Swiss cheese, and diced ham.
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta - In this recipe, chicken breasts are combined with broccoli and pasta in a creamy garlic and parmesan sauce.
Subscribe to the Newsletter for the latest recipes and more.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Tortellini with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water (we used kosher salt)
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3½ tablespoons Flour all purpose
- 3½ cups Milk warmed (we use 2% reduced fat, whole milk can also be used)
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus extra for serving if desired
- 12 ounces Dry Tortellini cooked to package directions (use cheese tortellini, spinach tortellini, or a combination)
- 12 ounces Broccoli washed, cut into bite sized pieces, steamed to desired doneness, and drained
- Optional garnish: Crushed Red Pepper Chopped Fresh Herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, etc.),
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water so it will be boiling when it’s time to cook the pasta.
- Add the butter to a large, deep skillet or pot. When the butter is melted, add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook the flour mixture for 2 minutes. Stir almost constantly.
- Slowly add the milk while stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth. Let the sauce come to a simmer. It will take about 5-7 minutes, stir occasionally while waiting.
- When it starts simmering, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, raise or lower heat as needed.
While the sauce cooks make the pasta and steam the broccoli
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Add the tortellini and cook to package directions for al dente (or the lowest suggested cooking time).
- Steam the broccoli to the desired tenderness (steam-in-the-bag, in the microwave or stovetop (see post section “Steaming broccoli instructions” if you need directions).
- Regardless of the method used to cook the broccoli, open/uncover after cooking to let the steam escape. Drain well and reserve.
- Add the parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir well until the ingredients are combined. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
- Lastly, add the tortellini and broccoli to the creamy sauce, stir well. Cover the skillet and warm gently for 2-5 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish with extra parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, or fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Leave a Reply