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Smartphone photo of Creamy Garlic Butter Tortellini in a shallow white bowl with glossy sauce and cracked black pepper.

Creamy Garlic Butter Tortellini: The Ultimate 20-Minute Comfort Meal

This Creamy Garlic Butter Tortellini features plump cheese pasta in a glossy, pale-ivory garlic cream sauce. Topped with heavy parmesan and fresh parsley, it's a 20-minute restaurant-quality dinner perfect for busy weeknights.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Primary Ingredients
  • 20 oz Cheese Tortellini Refrigerated or fresh (567g)
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter 56g
  • 5 cloves Garlic Minced (20g)
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream 240ml
  • 1/4 cup Pasta Water Reserved from boiling (60ml)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese Finely grated, 45g
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley Finely chopped, 15g
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Freshly cracked

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot For boiling tortellini
  • 1 Large Skillet For the garlic butter cream sauce
  • 1 Microplane For finely grating parmesan

Method
 

Pasta Preparation
  1. Cook tortellini in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup (60ml) of pasta water before draining.
Sauce Construction
  1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant and soft but not browned.
  2. Pour in heavy cream. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken slightly and achieves a pale-ivory color.
  3. Whisk in half of the parmesan and the reserved pasta water until the sauce is glossy and smooth.
Finishing
  1. Add tortellini to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve in shallow bowls.
  2. Apply a heavy dusting of the remaining parmesan, fresh parsley, and cracked black pepper.

Notes

Use refrigerated tortellini for the best 'plump' texture.
Ensure you use a microplane for the parmesan to get that specific dusting effect.