Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini

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Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini

Enlist fresh, vibrant produce to lighten up a delicious cream-based pasta dinner. The end result is a meal that only tastes decadent and can be on your table in about 25 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main, Pasta

Cuisine: American, American-Italian

Keyword: tomato basil tortellini

Servings:

Calories: 567kcal

Author: Monica Lensink

Ingredients

18-20 ounces fresh tortellini
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1 cup chicken or veggie broth or dry white wine, or a mix
1/2 cup cream
3 medium tomatoes such as Roma or plum
1/2 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, followed by the tortellini, and cook just to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve a small amount of the pasta water, then drain tortellini and set aside.
While the water comes to a boil, start the sauce. Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When melted, add garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in the white wine or broth. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 3-4 minutes, until visibly reduced. Add cream and stir into a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I usually add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 6-8 cracks of fresh-ground black pepper.)
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and discard most of the seeds. Stir tomatoes into the sauce, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the Parmesan, basil, and lemon juice. Remove pan from the heat, then add drained tortellini and stir well to combine. Add reserved pasta water 1-2 teaspoons at a time if needed to thin the sauce. Serve right away with more Parmesan and basil, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Yield: In my experience, this recipe yields 4 pretty generous portions. For my family of two adults and two kids, we usually have about one small lunch portion leftover. If serving this as a side dish, you can easily expect to get 6 portions without increasing the amounts.

Nutrition