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Tortellini Alfredo with broccoli has a rich and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce and everything comes together in less than 15 minutes! It’s the perfect kid-friendly dinner for busy weeknights and it has only 6 ingredients.
Want more recipes with Alfredo sauce? Try my Chicken Alfredo and Spinach Alfredo Pizza.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Ready In Minutes – This recipe takes just 15 minutes from start to finish!
- Kid-Friendly – This is one of my family’s go-to meals. My kids love it and I love that they’re getting a serving or two of broccoli in this recipe!
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce – This recipe has a creamy easy-to-make homemade alfredo sauce. It tastes so much better than the jarred stuff and has only a few staple ingredients.
recipe walk-through
Ingredients Notes
The ingredients used here are very common, but I do have a few important notes.
- Heavy Cream – Full fat heavy cream, I do not recommend using milk or half & half.
- Parmesan – Freshly shredded cheese will melt into the sauce best.
- Cheese Tortellini – I like the big 20 ounce packs from Costco, but you can use two of the 9-ounce packages from the grocery store, too.
How To Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
If you’ve never made Alfredo Sauce, it might seem intimidating, but it is truly one of the easiest sauces to make!
- Start with just four ingredients – butter, heavy cream, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Melt the butter slowly over medium-low heat.
- Stir the garlic in. Be careful to only cook the garlic for 30 seconds or so before adding the cream – the garlic can burn fast and it will ruin the whole sauce.
- Whisk the cream into the butter until it’s combined and starts to gently simmer. No boiling here – you’ll be adding the cheese soon and if it’s too hot the sauce will break (divide the fat and protein) and that’s not tasty.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until completely melted.
How To Make Tortellini Alfredo
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Start the Alfredo Sauce – The Alfredo sauce only takes a couple minutes to make, so plan accordingly.
Cook The Tortellini – Boil a large pot of salted water. Follow the package instructions to see how long to cook the tortellini.
Cook The Broccoli – Add the broccoli to the tortellini during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. (I use the tortellini from Costco, which only takes 2 minutes so I add the tortellini and broccoli at the same time.) Drain and set aside.
Combine Everything – Add the tortellini and broccoli to the Alfredo sauce. It will thicken a little as it sits with the added starch from the pasta. This recipe makes just enough to coat the tortellini and broccoli, but you could make a little more sauce if you want it on the saucier side.
Recipe Tips
- Add Protein – This recipe is delicious with added rotisserie chicken, shrimp, or sausage (I like smoked sausage or Italian sausage).
- Freshly Shredded Parmesan – I always recommend grating your own cheese for recipes like this as it will melt more easily into the sauce.
- Flavor Variations – You can add sundried tomatoes, crushed red pepper, or cooked bacon for different flavor variations.
- Different Vegetables – This recipe would also be delicious with spinach, kale, or asparagus.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is delicious served with a simple Garden Salad or Caesar Salad.
You can bulk up the meal by serving with Baked Chicken Breasts or Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.
Storage Tips
How to Store Leftovers
This recipe is best served immediately but can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
More Tortellini Recipes
- Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
- Creamy Tortellini and Smoked Sausage
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini
- Balsamic Chicken Tortellini Salad
- Cheesy Baked Tortellini Casserole
Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Butter 1 stick
- 1 teaspoon Minced garlic about 2 cloves
- 1 cup Fresh Parmesan cheese finely shredded
- 20 ounce Package of cheese tortellini
- 4 cups Broccoli florets
- Italian flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add tortellini and cook to package instructions. Add the broccoli during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan or skillet over medium-low heat melt the butter. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer (small bubbles are starting to form around the edges – do not boil), then turn off heat and add in the Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the tortellini and broccoli to the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and additional shredded Parmesan, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Made this a few times to carb up my runner. We all love the super easy, tasty recipe. Thank you.
Thank you Beth for stopping by!
Thanks Kristin. The family enjoyed your recipe. I used chicken stuffed tortellini I got at Costco.
Great idea!
Followed this recipe exactly and the cheese ended up curdling leaving the milk and butter separated as well. not impressed.
Every stove is different. You have to watch the sauce close to ensure that it doesn’t curdle. The curdling results from cooking too long or at too high of a temperature.
alfredo sauce is so easy to make done it lots of times. jarred stuff doesn’t taste good now.
Really enjoyed the alfredo receipe, not sure if I’m ready to venture out making the sauce tho, so I’m gonna add the jarred for a cheat…..and plan a salad as a small side also.