Description
Homemade beef & parmesan tortellini delivers Italian comfort in one delightful dish. Rich pasta pockets packed with savory meat blend perfectly with silky cream sauce, inviting home cooks to savor classic flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 1 lb (454 g) cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- ½ cup beef broth
- 2 tbsps olive oil or butter
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil Tortellini: Fill a large pot with salted water and cook tortellini according to package instructions until they float and reach al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sear Beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown ground beef, breaking into fine crumbles until golden. Drain excess fat and remove from pan.
- Aromatic Base: In the same skillet, sauté onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant, releasing their delicate flavors.
- Create Sauce: Deglaze pan with beef broth, scraping up browned bits. Whisk in heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer until sauce thickens and becomes velvety smooth.
- Combine and Finish: Reintroduce cooked beef and tortellini into the creamy sauce, gently folding to ensure complete coating. Warm through for 2-3 minutes, allowing flavors to meld harmoniously.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan. Plate alongside crusty garlic bread or a crisp garden salad for a complete meal.
Notes
- Pasta Precision: Choose fresh or frozen tortellini and cook exactly according to package instructions to maintain ideal texture and prevent mushiness.
- Fat Management: Drain excess beef fat thoroughly to prevent sauce from becoming overly greasy and ensure a balanced, clean flavor profile.
- Sauce Consistency: Simmer sauce gently to allow natural thickening; avoid rapid boiling which can cause separation or curdling of cream-based sauce.
- Seasoning Balance: Adjust red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning to personal heat tolerance, understanding Parmesan adds natural saltiness to the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 743
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 951 mg
- Fat: 48 g
- Saturated Fat: 24 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg