# What's a good sauce for tortellini?



## Eric Childress

Tired of the basic cream sauce.  Any recommendations??


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## kitchenelf

What about a pesto thinned out with some olive oil.  The addition of sun dried tomatoes is pretty good.  I say "thin it" because this can be pretty rich.

Also, I have heated some rich chicken broth and let reduce some.  Add some sun dried tomatoes, cut in slivers, add a bit of butter just for some body, and serve tortellini in this.  

My son ate it for breakfast almost every morning in elementary school with just butter...I guess you want it a little more exciting than that!


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## Alix

Try bearnaise with your tortellini, my kids love it. Three cheese cream sauce is lovely too.


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## GotGarlic

I usually make it with marinara sauce. I've had it as a part of a cold pasta salad, too, with a vinaigrette.


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## QSis

I like it with browned butter in which I have fried up some fresh sage leaves.

Lee


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## DaveSoMD

Melt some butter and olive oil together in a pan; add some chopped garlic and saute a few minutes over low heat; add some grated parmesian cheese and toss in the torellini and toss to coat.  You can top with some fresh basil or oregano.


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## college_cook

If you're bored of basic cream sauce, try a jazzed up cream sauce.  Lots of ways to introduce great flavors into reduced cream, including but not limited to: sun dried tomatoes, scallions, butter, stock/glace, butter, truffle butter, truffle oil, capers, lemon, olives, mushrooms, fish stock, various flavored alcohol, cheese, vegetable purees, fresh herbs.  The list keeps going and going...

If you want to keep it really simple, I'd say toss in truffle butter with sauteed shrooms and serve.

If you're adding a protein to your tortellini use the fond for extra flavor in the sauce-  Also, smoked meats go really well with a basic alfredo.


What it really comes down to though, is that certain pastas are often paired with certain sauces because of the pasta's ability to hold onto that sauce.  Tortellini has an easy time holding onto cream sauces.


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## jkath

This one will knock your socks off!
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/sauce/jalapeno-white-sauce.html


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## kitchenelf

jkath - that looks awesome!!!

college cook - all great suggestions!  I love sun dried tomatoes in my alfredo as well as smoked scallops.  I'll smoke some in my stove top smoker - it's wonderful!  Capers, how could I forget those????


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## urmaniac13

Bechamelle with a little chopped up porcini is good with just about anything, spinach-ricotta or meat based tortellini will go well with tomato based sauce (flavoured with onion, garlic, red wine and herbs), or simple garlic butter could be surprisingly good, too.

One of my recent discoveries is a sage based sauce (sort of sage pesto), you chop up a leek, or several scallions, together with about 10 fresh sage leaves, s&p to taste.  Sautè them well in butter, then put it in a blender with parmigiano or grana padano, mix into a desired consistency, adding a little cooking cream as needed.  Extremely versatile and tasty.


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## CharlieD

Personaly I think it depends on the kind tortellini you're making.


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## *amy*

One suggestion is tortellini primavera. An easy sauce - add softened *cream cheese with onions & chives to a saucepan, & gradually stir in half and half or milk. Stir & heat through. Add some red pepper flakes if you wish. Toss the cooked drained tortellini with the sauce, add in veggies of choice (asparagus, peas, broccoli, halved cherry, grape, pear or sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, roasted sweet red peppers, diced ham or pancetta, etc), sprinkle with fresh torn basil & fresh Parmesan cheese.

*If you can find cream cheese with salmon, that might be an interesting sauce (w half and half or milk).

Another way to go, is a cold pasta salad, i.e. tortellini Caprese. Toss the tortellini with Italian vinaigrette dressing, add tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh torn basil - & slivers of garlic, if you like.


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## Eric Childress

Thanks Everyone!!! These are all great ideas, not sure which one I'm gonna do yet...but I do like the idea of smoked meats. Yummmmmm!


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