Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Meat Sauce - Cheese tortellini tossed in a super delicious homemade creamy tomato sauce with ground turkey. This recipe is easy to make and one the whole family will love!

Ingredients you need to make Tortellini with Meat Sauce:
Cheese Tortellini - You'll need one pound of your favorite refrigerated cheese tortellini. We used the Costco Kirkland brand five cheese tortellini.
Ground Turkey - We used a half pound of ground turkey in this recipe. You can also use ground beef or ground Italian sausage.
Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic cloves but if you're in a pinch, use 1 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt).
Yellow Onion - You'll need a half cup of chopped onion. You can also use red, white or sweet onion.
Heavy Cream - One and a quarter cup of heavy cream is required for this dish. Half and half may work as a substitution but the sauce may end up a bit thin.
Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated parmesan cheese off the block is highly recommended. You can also use pre-grated parmesan cheese.
Tomato Paste - A third cup of tomato paste will be needed in this recipe.
Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Olive Oil - Any olive oil you prefer. You can also use avocado oil.
Parsley - We used one teaspoon dried parsley. If using fresh, double the amount and chop fine.
Basil - We used one teaspoon dried basil. If using fresh, double the amount and chop fine.
Oregano - We used a half teaspoon dried oregano. If using fresh, double the amount and chop fine.
Red Pepper Flakes - This is where the spice comes in. I used two teaspoons of red pepper flakes for a spicier pasta. You can use 1 - 3 teaspoons based on the spice level you prefer.
Salt + Black Pepper - To season meat while cooking.
How to make Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Meat Sauce:
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add ground turkey to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook ground turkey, breaking it up with a spatula and stirring until browned and completely cooked through.
Before finishing the sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook cheese tortellini according to package instructions. Drain, and set aside.
Stir tomato paste into the meat mixture. Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring frequently. Stir in parmesan cheese with basil, oregano, and parsley. Add 1 - 3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes depending on the spice level you want.
Gently toss cooked tortellini into the meat sauce. Sprinkle with more red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese(optional). Enjoy!
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
- Large Skillet and Saucepan – To boil the pasta & to cook your sauce in.
- Cooking Spoon – To stir sauce while cooking.
- Cutting Board _ For prepping onions and garlic.
- Chef Knife – Prepping onions and garlic.
- Measuring Spoons + Cups – To ensure all of your ingredients are properly measured.
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Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz Cheese Tortellini
- ½ tablespoon Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
- ½ tablespoon Butter salted or unsalted
- ½ cup Yellow Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ lb Ground Turkey or ground beef
- â…“ cup Tomato Paste
- 1 ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1-3 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Add ground turkey to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook ground turkey, breaking it up with a spatula and stirring until browned and completely cooked through.
- Before finishing the sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook cheese tortellini according to package instructions. Drain, and set aside.
- Stir tomato paste into the meat mixture. Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring frequently. Stir in parmesan cheese with basil, oregano, and parsley. Add 1 - 3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes depending on the spice level you want.
- Gently toss cooked tortellini into the meat sauce. Enjoy!
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