This Three Cheese Tortellini with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Spinach recipe is a vegetable loaded pasta dish swimming in a creamy white sauce. The easy weeknight Italian dinner is simple, rich in flavor and will soon become a family favorite just like our pasta in light Alfredo Sauce.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
This is pure comfort food. Who doesn't love coming to the dinner table and finding a plate brimming with cheese filled tortellini that are bathed in a rich creamy sauce?
Plus the cook will love the easy family-friendly, week-night pasta recipe. The clean-up is a breeze once you boil the cheese-filled tortellini. The rest of the recipe takes only one pan.
🛒 Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Yellow onions
- Tortellini (we used the three-cheese refrigerated variety)
- Chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Baby Bella Mushrooms - brown crimini
- Heavy cream
- Red pepper flakes
- Parmesan cheese
🗒️ Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom it is in the recipe card.
The recipe is very easy to make once you prepped the vegetables and made the caramelized onions. Be sure to be patient and don't try to rush this step - the time will be worth it.
- Peel and slice the onions.
- In a large skillet sauté the onions in the butter and oil. You may have to add them in stages. Remove to plate when caramelized.
- Make the cheese tortellini according to package directions.
- Heat oil in the same large skillet and add the sliced mushroom, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the spinach.
- Return the caramelized onion to pan.
- Stir in the cream.
- Add the cooked tortellini.
- Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese.
- Top with freshly ground black pepper.
🤔 FAQ
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this cheese tortellini recipe. If you don't find the answer to your question here, leave a comment below or email me. I'll get back with you as soon as I can.
It will take at least 40 minutes.
The sweet delicious onions go perfectly on patty melts, sausage, sandwiches and burgers, over fish and even just a plain cheese and onion sandwich.
You can choose ingredients like roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, beans, olives, cured meats, or cubes of cheese, then toss it with cooked tortellini and you've got a flavor-packed tortellini pasta salad. A white or red sauce also goes perfectly over the pasta.
Traditionally, tortellini are filled with minced and browned veal or pork, and typically mixed with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese. You can also find them stuffed with a variety of cheese. The pasta is very versatile.
🙋🏻♀️How to caramelize onions
Caramelized onions
- Use a large skillet.
- You may have to start with a handful and add more as they cook down.
- Go low and slow to draw out the natural sugar in the onions.
- Don't expect it to take less than 40 minutes.
- Don't walk away. Stir the onions every couple of minutes.
- Since it takes the same amount of time for one onion as it does for two or more, make extra to enjoy on sandwiches, burgers, etc.
- If you're going to be short on time, make them ahead and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They'll keep for about 3 days.
The rest of the ingredients
- Cremini (brown mushrooms) will give more rich earthy flavor to the recipe than the white button mushrooms.
- You may substitute other pastas for the tortellini such as ravioli, farfalle, orecchiette, penne.
- Baby kale is a good substitute for the spinach. We don't like to use arugula with the hot sauce because it seems to break down too much.
- Pecorino or Romano cheese are good substitutes for the finely grated parmesan cheese.
🎥 Video
📚 Variations
To include a bit more protein to your dinner, add a meat to the recipe, such as grilled chicken, pork, or beef. If seafood is what you enjoy, add shrimp or scallops to the creamy pasta and vegetables.
🥫Storage
Store the marinade in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator. It will keep for over a week. Discard the marinade that was in contact with the meat.
If you cook the marinade that was in contact with the raw meat for 15 to 20 minutes, you may use it as a basting or serving sauce. Add a bit of butter to it and fresh chopped parsley or cilantro for a flavorful sauce.
Warming up the leftover
You're lucky to have any leftovers (we didn't have a saucy drop). The sauce will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for several days. Just warm the pasta and sauce on low in microwave or saucepan.
📚 Related Recipes
Pasta Verde - which means green pasta is light recipe bursting with the spring flavors of asparagus, baby spinach and mint.
Orecchiette with Spicy Shrimp - here is pasta that already includes the shrimp and adds a delicious combination of vegetables with a spicy finish.
Rotini with Fresh Lemon and Grape Tomatoes - a quick pasta dish and has the bright flavor of a lemon sauce. A perfect addition to any meal.
If you love your pasta stuffed, then see how easy it is to make Ravioli With Meat and Cheese.
We can't get enough pasta dishes. One that we make not because it's so easy but because the family always requests it is White Lasagna Ravioli.
Loaded with cheesy pasta, this Tortellini Soup Recipe is a must for those wanting a cozy soup to warm up on cold days and nights.
📋Recipe
This is a creamy pasta dish recipe that will have you grabbing a spatula to get every last drop of sauce out of the pan. It is quick to make once the onions are caramelized. You can make them ahead and then the rest of the recipe goes quickly.
Caramelization makes such a difference in not only onions but also other vegetables. One combination that we simply love is our Caramelized Fennel and Onions Recipe. It's a wonderful vegetable side and so good that it brings rave reviews whenever we serve it.
If you love the convenience of skillet dinners, try our Creamy Beef and Shells recipe. This cheesy beef dish comes together in less than 30 minutes and is ideal for a busy family.
Next time you're looking for a recipe to use those delicious and convenient fresh or frozen tortellini, check out our Easy One Pot Creamy Three Cheese Tortellini Pasta Recipe.
And speaking of busy, if you're ever in a quandary for a side you can make quickly, try our Creamy Angel Hair Pasta with Parmesan Garlic Sauce. It is amazing!
And if you love the fresh taste of vegetables with pasta, try our Pasta Primavera. It's our toast to the bright flavors of spring.
📖 Recipe
Three Cheese Tortellini with Caramelized Onions, Mushroom and Spinach
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions peeled (about 1 pound)
- Kosher salt Sprinkle
- ¼ cup Low-sodium chicken broth or water for pan; optional
Saucy Pasta Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms crimini, clean and sliced
- 8 oz. baby spinach about 7 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ - ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like it
- 10 oz. tortellini we used the 3-cheese refrigerated variety, cooked according to package directions.
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Caramelized Onions:
- Halve both onions through root end and remove the root.
- Place 1 onion half on your cutting board, root end facing you, then thinly slice onion lengthwise, starting at one side and working to the other making the slices about ¼”-⅛” thick. Do this for all of the onions.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large flat-bottom saucepan over medium until the butter is melted and sizzling.
- Start by adding a couple of large handfuls of onion slices to the pot. Cook, stirring until onions are soft and starting to turn translucent, 1-2 minutes. Stir in a few more handfuls of onion and repeat cooking and stirring until you’ve added all the onions. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook onions, stirring every few minutes until they are blonde-colored, 15-20 minutes. Keep cooking and stirring until the onions are golden brown, another 15-20 minutes.
- The secret is low and slow! If the onions start to cook too quickly and may burn, add a touch of water or broth to the onions.
- Remove the onions from the skillet and onto a plate.
For the Savory Sauce
- On medium, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet as the onions. Add the sliced mushroom and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook the mushrooms for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and start to brown.
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir on low heat until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Add the caramelized onions to the skillet.
- Stir in 1 cup heavy cream to the mixture and bring to a simmer. Keep stirring while the sauce simmers for a few more minutes.
- Add the cooked tortellini to the sauce. Stir on low heat for a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese on top of the vegetables and pasta. Stir one last time.
- Top with freshly ground black pepper when serving.
Notes
- Use a large skillet.
- You may have to start with a handful and add more as they cook down.
- Go low and slow to draw out the natural sugar in the onions.
- Don't expect it to take less than 40 minutes.
- Don't walk away. Stir the onions every couple of minutes.
- Since it takes the same amount of time for one onion as it does for two or more, make extra to enjoy on sandwiches, burgers, etc.
- If you're going to be short on time, make them ahead and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They'll keep for about 3 days.
- Cremini (brown mushrooms) will give more rich earthy flavor to the recipe than the white button mushrooms.
- You may substitute other pastas for the tortellini such as ravioli, farfalle, orecchiette, penne.
- Baby kale is a good substitute for the spinach. We don't like to use arugula with the hot sauce because it seems to break down too much.
- Pecorino or Romano cheese are good substitutes for the finely grated parmesan cheese.
