You won’t believe how easy it is to make this indulgent & delicious creamy tomato tortellini! A garlicky, marinara cream sauce is tossed with cheese tortellini in one pan and topped with burrata. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
One bite of this Tortellini Tomato Sauce and you’ll be hooked! Cheese tortellini is tossed with a simple marinara and cream sauce, then served with fresh burrata and basil on top. It’s a completely irresistible 20-minute, one-skillet meal.
The garlicky cream and tomato sauce is really simple, yet as indulgent as a traditional alfredo sauce or vodka sauce. The best part is that it’s so much easier to make! It all comes together in one pan, just like my tortellini skillet lasagna, and is impossibly creamy, tangy, and cheesy.
Toss everything together in the skillet and dig into this delicious cheesy recipe! It’ll quickly become a staple you can rely on for lazy nights at home, a quick weeknight dinner, or when you’re craving comfort food.
Ingredients needed
The short list of easy ingredients is what makes this vegetarian tortellini recipe so great. Splurge on the higher quality items to enhance the flavors or keep everything as simple as possible! This is all you need:
- Cheese tortellini
- Marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- Heavy cream – If you have extra, you can freeze it!
- Garlic
- Basil
- Red pepper flakes
- Burrata cheese
Burrata vs. mozzarella
Burrata cheese and mozzarella cheese are very similar. Both come from Italy, have soft textures, are made from cow’s milk, and are so delicious. They do, however, differ very slightly in texture and flavor:
- Mozzarella is creamy but has a slightly firm texture. This makes it the better choice to shred and melt on top of pizza and chicken parmesan.
- Burrata is still creamy but has a much softer texture and stronger flavor. The filling is very delicate, making it much better suited as a last-minute topping on salads, flank steak, and warm pasta.
How to make it
Cook the tortellini in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
To make the cream sauce, pour the marinara sauce into a large skillet and bring it up to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream, basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Add the cooked tortellini into the pan with the warm sauce. Toss to combine.
To serve, scoop the cheesy tortellini with tomato cream sauce into bowls. Top with burrata cheese and basil, then enjoy!
Recipe tips and variations
- Set the burrata on the counter as you make this recipe. Room temperature burrata will melt quickly on top of the tortellini, making each bite deliciously cheesy and stretchy.
- There’s always room for more cheese! Stir ricotta, parmesan, or mozzarella cheese in with the sauce-covered tortellini and top each bowl with extra parmesan.
- To enhance the garlicky goodness, replace the fresh garlic with roasted garlic.
- You can lighten up the dish by replacing the heavy cream with milk or dairy free milk (or creamer) but it won’t be as lusciously creamy.
- Stir kale, spinach, or sun dried tomatoes into the dish for a little added nutrition.
- To give this dish some added meatiness, replace the marinara sauce with bolognese sauce. Or, use meat-stuffed tortellini instead, or stir Italian sausage into the skillet.
What to serve with it
- Fennel salad with chickpeas
- Kale caesar salad
- Arugula salad
- Radicchio salad with olives and parmesan
- Sous vide asparagus
- MORE → the BEST sides for tortellini.
Wine pairings
- Sauvignon Blanc is delicious with the rich and creamy sauce.
- Or keep things simple with a glass of Chianti or Barbera.
- MORE → wine pairings for pasta.
More creamy pasta recipes
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta with Lamb
- Cheese Manicotti
- The Best Lasagna Soup
- Goat Cheese Pasta with Lemon Kale Pesto
- Spaghetti Alla Nerano
- More → 20+ sauces for tortellini.
Did you try this cheese tortellini sauce?
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Creamy Tomato Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups homemade marinara sauce)
- 20 ounces cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped, plus more for serving)
- 1 clove garlic (grated or finely minced)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 ounces burrata cheese (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the marinara sauce to a large skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream, basil, garlic and red pepper flakes and keep warm over low heat.
- Once the tortellini have finished cooking, drain and add to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to combine.
- Divide the tortellini between plates and top with burrata and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Set the burrata on the counter as you make this recipe. Room temperature burrata will melt quickly on top of the tortellini, making each bite deliciously cheesy and stretchy.
- There’s always room for more cheese! Stir ricotta, parmesan, or mozzarella cheese in with the sauce-covered tortellini and top each bowl with extra parmesan.
- To enhance the garlicky goodness, replace the fresh garlic with roasted garlic.
- You can lighten up the dish by replacing the heavy cream with milk or dairy free milk (or creamer) but it won’t be as lusciously creamy.
- Stir kale, spinach, or sun dried tomatoes into the dish for a little added nutrition.
- To give this dish some added meatiness, replace the marinara with bolognese sauce, use meat-stuffed tortellini instead, or stir Italian sausage into the skillet.
Equipment
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2024 to add new information. The creamy tomato tortellini recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
great dish, thank you, and always love “topped with burrata”!