Creamy Brown Butter Tortellini

This dreamy, Creamy Brown Butter Tortellini, whew! It’s a 1-pot, insanely flavorful, and weeknight-friendly dish. Delicious, nutty brown butter meets heaps of aromatic sage and plenty of garlic in a super simple, luxurious sauce. Made sooo easy with store-bought tortellini, this decadent meal is one the whole crew will enjoy!

Can y’all believe it’s the month of November already?! My goodness, it feels like the year has gone by quicker than a flash, huh. Nevertheless, the recipes shall continue, and I’ve got this creamy brown butter tortellini for you today. Brown butter, creamy sauce, cheese, and pasta…say less. I love this dish so much, seriously cannot quit it, and I just know you’re gonna obsess over it, too.

Creamy Brown Butter Tortellini 👌🏾

Listen, we’ve got fresh tortellini tossed in a creamy sauce that’s infused with rich, nutty brown butter here. This dish is incredibly easy to bring together while still possessing restaurant-quality flair, but homemade. It’s a single vessel meal that’s loaded with flavor and aromatic sage, yum. Chef’s kiss all around.

⇢ More must-make recipes: creamy lemon herb butter ravioli, reader-favorite brown stew chicken, this bomb crispy parmesan crusted chicken, my red beans and rice, and most definitely these braised short ribs for the coziest dinner!

What You’ll Need For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Butter: For that brown buttery goodness, gahhh.
• Shallot: Adds a nice delicate and sweet flavor.
• Garlic: Big, bold garlicky flavor throughout this dish!
• Sage: I adore fresh sage here; it adds a fragrant pop that’s extra delicious.
• Chicken broth: Makes up part of the saucy base for this recipe.
• Heavy cream: Ensures this creamy brown butter tortellini is, well, creamy.
• White wine: Any dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
• Cheese tortellini: Store-bought, fresh tortellini is commonly sold in most grocery stores. They’re clutch for quickness and cook easily!
• Parmesan: Nutty, salty parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce, check.
• Seasonings: We’re using red pepper flakes for a subtle touch of heat, warming nutmeg to enhance more depth of flavor, and salt/pepper.

How To Make This Creamy Tortellini Recipe

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Brown the butter. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Once the butter melts, it will get foamy, and you will hear it bubbling as it cooks. Then the butter will turn deep brown and have a nutty aroma with brown bits on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add in the flavors. Toss in the shallot and sauté. Then add in the garlic and fresh sage and continue cooking until fragrant.
3. Bring it all together. Pour in the broth, cream, and wine, stirring until fully combined. Then add in the fresh tortellini and carefully stir to combine with the sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Finish the dish. The sauce will be somewhat thin. Sprinkle in the grated parmesan, season with spices, and stir together to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat- the sauce will thicken up beautifully. 
5. Serve creamy brown butter tortellini with extra grated parmesan. Enjoy!

*Butter Note: The process is fast, and it can quickly go from a perfect brown butter to burned butter situation, so be careful. After cooking, it develops into a lovely amber-ish, golden color with a delightful nutty aroma- it’s amazing! That brown butter flavor is all over this creamy brown butter tortellini recipe.

⇢ Pro tip: Use a pot that is light on the inside whenever making brown butter. This helps you to see the cooking process for brown butter perfection! 🙌🏾 🧈

FAQs, Tips + Tricks, & More Information:

You may have additional questions about this creamy brown butter tortellini recipe. Like other BBR recipes, I always recommend sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card, below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Heavy cream alternative? The use of heavy cream is highly unmatched to anything else- just keeping it real. Coconut cream might work here. Please know that this recipe has only been tested using heavy cream, experiment at your own risk. Let us know if you do try something else! ♡
• A note on sage. The fresh sage in this brown butter tortellini is so dreamy. If you’re not a fan of sage, swap for fresh rosemary or tarragon maybe.
• Do I have to use white wine? If you don’t have this specific ingredient or are NA; simply replace the wine with more chicken broth, yay.
• Use fresh parmesan! – Get those pre-shredded bags of parmesan outta here. You’ll need a *fresh block* of parmesan that you’ll grate using a grater tool.
• Tortellini variations. I love using all-cheese tortellini for this recipe, it’s perfect. But feel free to use other tortellini flavors as you’d like.
• Mix-ins/Add-ons. If you wanna amp up the greens here, I recommend adding about 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach. Also, other great mix-ins include sweet corn, fresh basil, frozen/fresh peas, sun-dried tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms. Just add those items in with the tortellini, extra yum.

Why This Creamy Tortellini Recipe Works ♡

1. SO EASY! This is a quick weeknight (or any night!) type of dinner. Everything comes together easily and under 30 minutes!
2. FLAVORFUL! While this one is easy, there’s heaps of flavor in abundance.
3. ONE-PAN BEAUTY! This entire dish whips up in one single pan. No additional pot needed to boil the tortellini or anything else.
4. JUST DANG GOOD! I could go on and on as to why you’ll love this creamy brown butter tortellini, peeps. All in all, to put it plain and simple…this recipe has lip-smacking flavor and is just dang good mmkay.

What To Pair With Tortellini?

Gahhh, my favorite part! This dish pairs great with a few things:

• garlic bread, garlic rolls, side salad, olive cheese bread
• steamed, roasted, and/or sautéed vegetables
• hearty options like meatballs or parmesan crusted chicken– yum!

Storing Leftovers

Storing leftovers? This is a dish that I feel shines its best right after cooking. Reheating leftover tortellini just doesn’t hit the same. However, if needed, you can store any leftovers inside of an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash more of broth to loosen the sauce, as needed.

This Creamy Brown Butter Tortellini is so freakin’ good, y’all. It’s such an easy, one-pan staple that you’ll enjoy. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Big fan of one-pan/pot meals?…don’t miss:

• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
• Jamaican Curry Chicken
• Sausage Kale Pasta with Mascarpone Sauce
• Southern Fried Cabbage and Sausage
• Saucy Chicken Piccata Meatballs

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