This easy tortellini pasta recipe features a creamy pesto sauce. Quick-cooking tortellini and frozen peas keep this pasta weeknight-friendly. Ready in 30 minutes!
A quick, creamy pesto pasta is our weeknight dinner MVP. You just need some store bought cheese tortellini, a bit of heavy cream, and your favorite pesto. We added peas and extra parmesan here, but it's incredibly versatile and easy to customize!
This is a true "blank canvas" recipe. It's designed for riffing, adapting, and using whatever you have on hand. We'll walk you through the general process and technique in this post: Use our recipe as a jumping-off point, and then make this pasta your own!
Ingredients
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
- Cheese tortellini. We used fresh cheese tortellini in these photos (often found in the refrigerated or dairy section of the grocery store). We've also tested this recipe with frozen tortellini - both work!
- Store-bought pesto keeps this pasta quick and simple. We used basil pesto; you can also use homemade pesto (try pea pesto, arugula pesto, or garlic scape pesto!)
- Parmesan cheese. Use real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for best results, and shred it yourself (pre-shredded cheese is often coated with preservatives that prevent it from melting smoothly).
Variations and Substitutions
- Add protein. Chicken (try our Dutch oven shredded chicken!), Italian sausage, and shrimp are all good with this pasta. Add butter beans or cannellini beans for plant-based protein (and a boost of fiber!)
- Swap the heavy cream for half-and-half if you like, or use our favorite cauliflower cream sauce for a lighter option.
- Extra veggies. Add corn, tomatoes, asparagus, bell pepper, steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, or any other veggies you have on hand. Stir in greens (like fresh baby spinach, kale, or arugula) at the end of cooking.
- Flavor boosts. Add lemon juice for a brighter sauce, or a pinch of red pepper flakes if you'd like some heat.
Instructions
Cook the tortellini
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous pinch of kosher salt, and cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set it aside, then return the empty pot to the stove.
Pro Tip: Reserve a bit of starchy pasta water before draining the tortellini! Add a splash to the cream sauce for a silkier texture (see this technique in action in our spinach chicken alfredo and goat cheese pasta recipes!)
Make the sauce and assemble
Whisk pesto and heavy cream together over medium heat, and cook until the sauce just begins to bubble. Add peas, parmesan, and cooked tortellini; stir to combine. Cook a few minutes more, until the cheese has melted and the peas are heated through.
Taste the pasta; add kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper as needed. Sprinkle a bit of extra parmesan across the top, and serve immediately.
Storage Tip: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a large skillet with a splash of cream or vegetable stock to bring the sauce back to a creamy consistency.
FAQs
In the photos above, we used two 10-ounce packages of Trader Joe's Fresh Cheese Tortellini, which is located in the refrigerated section near the cheese and dairy products at our store. We've also successfully tested this recipe with Wegmans fresh cheese tortelloni, as well as various brands of frozen tortellini.
Store bought tortellini comes in a wide variety of packaging. Some stores sell family-pack sizes that range from 16 to 20 ounces each; sometimes you'll need to buy two smaller packages that are 8-10 ounces apiece. Check the packaging on your preferred tortellini, and don't be afraid to adjust the exact amount of sauce in this recipe so it works for your amount of pasta!
Note: We used cheese tortellini in this recipe, but you can swap it for any flavor of stuffed pasta you like! This recipe would work well with tortellini, ravioli, or any stuffed pasta with a variety of fillings (spinach, sausage, chicken, mushroom, etc). 
We're relying on the pesto to bring most of the flavor here: Because basil pesto usually contains a variety of flavorful ingredients (garlic, olive oil, basil, parmesan, pine nuts or walnuts), it does a lot of the heavy lifting in this recipe. But the final flavor of this pasta will absolutely depend on the pesto you use (as well as the quality and flavor of your chosen tortellini!)
If you want to boost the flavor a bit, we recommend adding a splash of fresh lemon juice (which will add brightness and acidity) or a pinch of red pepper flakes (for heat). You can also dial up the flavor by sautéeing extra aromatics (like garlic, shallot, or sliced leeks) in a bit of butter or olive oil before building the rest of the cream sauce.
Certainly! As written, this recipe makes a fairly thin cream sauce: It's enough to lightly coat the tortellini without overpowering it. You can double the sauce here if you'd like more!
If you want something thicker - more like an alfredo sauce or the béchamel you find in mac and cheese recipes - we'd recommend swapping the heavy cream in this recipe for a batch of our simple white sauce or cauliflower cream sauce. You can also try our creamy lemon pasta, which has a slightly thicker sauce.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Pesto Tortellini
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Description
This quick and delicious pesto tortellini recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 20 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
- 1 heaping cup frozen peas
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions in very salty water. Drain and set aside.
- Return the empty pasta pot to the stove over medium heat. Add heavy cream and basil pesto; whisk them together until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce just barely begins to simmer.
- Add cooked tortellini, peas, and parmesan cheese to pot. Stir to combine. Taste and add kosher salt and a few turns of black pepper as needed.
- Top with additional parmesan cheese (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions. Add a few Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to this sauce for extra brightness and acidity. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Swap the heavy cream for half and half if you like. Add extra protein (chicken, shrimp, sausage, beans), veggies (asparagus, broccoli, corn), or greens (spinach, kale, arugula) to make this pasta a bit heartier. Add extra cream and/or pesto if you find you need more sauce.
This is a very forgiving recipe, and the final flavor will depend almost entirely on the pesto and tortellini you use. Don't be afraid to riff and make adjustments to suit your tastes!
A note about parmesan. For best results, buy a block of real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and shred or grate it yourself (pre-shredded cheese is often coated with preservatives that prevent it from melting smoothly). Strict vegetarians should look for parmesan cheese made without animal rennet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 682
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 1025.3 mg
- Fat: 32.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.3 g
- Protein: 25.2 g
- Cholesterol: 80.1 mg
Editor's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2025 to include new photos, additional notes, and streamlined recipe instructions.
Kyle
Great recipe. The tip to cook the tortellini in "very salty water" is very helpful, dials up the taste of the pasta's filling to pair well with the sauce and the peas.
Team Life As A Strawberry
We're glad that tip was helpful for your tortellini success!
amallia
wow, the pasta look so tempting, it makes me hungry. Nice pictures!
Jessie
Thank you so much!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode
I love pesto so much! It's definitely one of the best sauces out there.
Jessie
I agree! I could eat it on everything!
Marco
Hi Jessie, this dish is looking ah-mazing!! Keep it up 🙂
Jessie
Thank you, Marco!