This is a quick, easy meal that’s perfect for an evening when you just don’t feel like eating meat. The sauce is different from a traditional red pasta sauce. It’s light, fragrant and flavored with just enough butter and cream to give it a rich consistency without being heavy. Use a good brand of either dried or refrigerated tortellini to keep the dish light. Serve with a salad of field greens tossed with a lemon vinaigrette for a complete meal.
PrintTortellini with Rosemary-Tomato Sauce
Cheese tortellini with a sauce of tomatoes, fresh rosemary, sweet onions and a bit of cream makes a light but satisfying meatless meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
Ingredients
- 12-ounces cheese tortellini (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped (see notes)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the tortellini.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the water. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes longer. If necessary, add a little more water to keep the onions from browning.
- Raise the heat to medium, add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Allow to heat through, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste and add more rosemary if desired. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and keep warm.
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and divide among 4 shallow bowls. Top with the sauce and add a bit of freshly ground black pepper and a short sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish if desired.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
About the tortellini: We find that a mild-flavored, 3-cheese variety makes the best choice for this dish. Tortellini made with a single, sharp cheese tend to compete with the flavor of the rosemary in the sauce.
About the rosemary: Fresh rosemary can vary in flavor intensity, so start with a tablespoon, let the sauce cook for a minute or two, then add more if desired. We used the full 2 tablespoons, but our rosemary leaves were very tender and not overly strong. If necessary, you can substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary for the fresh.
Nick says
Excellent guide for making homemade tomato sauce that you can put on pretty much any type of pasta! Using the fresh ingredients makes it so delicious