Looking for a creamy sauce for tortellini? This rich garlic mushroom cream sauce is easy to make and perfect for turning tortellini into a cosy dinner.
Not only does this recipe only require a handful of simple ingredients, but it also only requires 10 minutes to prep too! Follow me…
Creamy Tortellini Sauce
I have no shame in declaring I’m a sucker for store-bought tortellini. Because, quite frankly, who has the energy to make their own on a weeknight? It’s filling, there’s a huge range of flavours and it’s typically pretty cheap. Anyway, I don’t know why I’m trying to sell you store-bought tortellini, let’s break down the creamy garlic mushroom sauce:
- Creamy – this comes from a small amount of cream, but mainly comes from Boursin Cheese (the secret weapon in this sauce).
- Garlic – again, this comes from the Boursin cheese.
- Mushroom – I like to use small mushrooms so they don’t take over the sauce. Here I’ve used baby chestnut mushrooms, but any small variety will work well.
Extra goodies
The bulk of the sauce is made up with chicken stock, which blends with the Boursin and cream to make a lusciously rich sauce. I like to sweat down some shallots for a little sweetness to balance the flavours; I also like some parmesan stirred through the sauce for an extra boost of flavour. Finally, I like to stir through some spinach to bulk out the dish and for a pop of colour.
Process shots: fry mushrooms (photo 1), melt butter (photo 2), fry shallots (photo 3), stir in stock, cream and Boursin (photo 4), simmer with parmesan then wilt spinach (photo 5), stir in tortellini (photo 6).
Creamy Mushroom Tortellini FAQ
My top recommendation is a chicken filling. I have used roast chicken and chicken & bacon in the past and both pair beautifully with the sauce. My second recommendation would be something like pumpkin, which takes on the creamy, garlicky sauce really nicely. You could use a cheese filling, but pick something light like ricotta, otherwise it might end up too cheesy and rich.
Yes, any type of stuffed pasta will do the trick!
It’s rich, but not crazy. In fact, it’s probably lighter than you’d expect, given it only uses a small amount of single cream. If you find the sauce a little rich, you can add a small squeeze of lemon juice (if you have it on hand) to help cut through the creaminess.
If you don’t like spinach, you can leave it out if you’d prefer.
When it comes to serving this dish, I like to take a minute or so off the cooking time for the tortellini, just so you can finish cooking it in the sauce. This benefits the pasta, because it can soak in more of the flavour without the cooking. It also benefits the sauce, because the excess starch will help thicken it.
I recommend plating up right away, because the sauce will thicken pretty quickly. I love to finish with extra parmesan, but that’s totally optional.
For another delicious tortellini recipe check out my Spicy Sausage Tortellini!
For more creamy garlic goodness, check out my Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken and Creamy Garlic Mushroom Steak Orzo!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy garlic mushroom tortellini shall we?!
How to make Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Tortellini (Full Recipe & Video)
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Tortellini
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Large Pot & Slotted Spoon (for tortellini)
- Jug (for stock)
Ingredients
- drizzle of Olive Oil
- 9oz / 250g Baby Button/Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 Shallots, finely diced
- 1 cup / 240ml Low/Zero Salt Chicken Stock (see notes)
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Single Cream/Half & Half
- 1x 150g/5oz block of Garlic & Herbs Boursin Cheese
- 1/3 cup / 30g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve if desired
- 1lb / 500g Tortellini (see notes)
- 3.5oz / 100g Baby Spinach Leaves (see notes)
- Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and space them out. Leave to fry for a couple of mins until they begin to sweat, then stir them to flip them over. Continue frying until they build up a golden crust (important to develop flavour). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then lower the heat to medium.
- Melt the butter, then fry the shallots until soft and golden. Stir in the stock and cream, then stir in the Boursin and parmesan until melted and blended into the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens, then check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Add the tortellini to salted boiling water and cook for a minute or so less than the package instructions (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Stir the spinach into the sauce until it begins to wilt, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked tortellini into the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens and clings to the tortellini.
- Serve with extra parmesan, then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
