23 EASY Tortellini Sauces & Recipe Ideas

Spice up your stuffed pasta game with these easy tortellini sauces.

From creamy Alfredo to zippy marinara, all that’s missing is a chunk of garlic bread!

The Best Tortellini Sauce Recipes

Tortellini are little pockets of yum!

They kind of look like mini crescents, and they’re often stuffed with meats and cheeses.

And while they’re tasty on their own, these tortellini sauces make them irresistible.

I hope you’re hungry. Because you’ll want to try one of these delicious sauce recipes asap!

There’s a reason so many yummy recipes have the words’ garlic’ and ‘butter’ in their names.

It’s a classic combination that’s right up there with peanut butter and jelly or biscuits and gravy. 

You can have this ready in only 15 minutes, and it’s just as popular with kids. So this is a terrific family dinner option.

Here’s another garlic and butter combo. Only this one is all grown up!

First, you’ll make and use brown butter, which makes it insanely rich and nutty.

Then you’ll use a mix of Asiago and Parmesan cheese for the most scrumptiously cheesy finish.

It’s a flavorful cream-based sauce that tastes fantastic on any pasta – especially tortellini.

Do you prefer tomatoes to cheese? If so, give this creamy tomato sauce a try.

Like the others so far, it’s thick and velvety. But instead of white sauce, it has lots of tomato yumminess.

That said, it’s still super creamy. So if marinara isn’t your thing, you’ll love it.

In the mood for something simple? Try this light and fresh garlic and white wine sauce.

It’s thin, so it won’t coat the pasta like the recipes above.

But that doesn’t mean it lacks flavor. Quite the opposite! It’s impossibly garlicky with such a pleasant white wine kick.

And the cherry tomatoes add a delightfully juicy balance. Yum!

Cover anything with this creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, and you’ll be happy.

I’m serious! Smother your pork chops, drown your chicken, and dunk your steak! You cannot go wrong.

But my favorite option is, of course, with tortellini. (Specifically, pancetta tortellini for a kick of salty goodness!)

Alfredo sauce is always a crowd-pleaser.

So if you’re making tortellini for a crowd, it’s the way to go. You just know everyone will want seconds – even the kids!

Better yet, you only need a handful of pantry staples to pull it off. So toss that jar of sauce of get cooking.

Pumpkin sauce is the go-to for all pumpkin-spiced latte lovers. It’s rich, creamy, and tastes like pumpkin – though it’s savory, not sweet. 

The pepper, Parmesan, garlic, and butter ensure that. 

It’s a beautiful sauce if you’re making tortellini in the fall. And it’s a terrific way to sneak some veggies into dinner.

Just make sure you get canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. 

Vodka-based tortellini sauces are some of my favorites. They’re just so vibrant with the most robust flavors. 

And this one is no exception.

It’s creamy and herby, featuring bold flavors like pumpkin puree and Parmesan.

Plus, the browned butter goes a long way toward making this an unbeatable dish.

I’m pretty sure if I say “Bolognese,” your first thought will be ‘spaghetti’.

But it’s just a meaty sauce, right? So why not put it on tortellini?

You’ll love its warm, meaty flavor and the bright notes of tomatoes and red wine. 

Serve it with any pasta and garlic bread, and I doubt you’ll see any leftovers.

Here’s another excellent sauce for those who love tomatoes.

‘Pomodoro’ is ‘tomato’ in Italian, so this is really just a fancy way to say ‘tomato sauce.’ 

So if that’s your jam, this is the one to bookmark.

It comes with garlic, onion salt, basil, and more, making it one of the more flavorful tomato-based sauces – and that’s saying a lot!

Marinara sauce is a lot of things, but creamy isn’t usually one of them.

Luckily, that’s not the case in this recipe. 

You’ll mix these fire-roasted tomatoes with a whole log of goat cheese. Along with a bold tanginess, it also makes the sauce creamy and wonderful. 

This recipe will taste different from your typical marinara sauce. But try it anyway; you’ll be surprised by how much you like it. 

Here’s a spinach-sausage-tomato cream sauce I think you’ll love.

I know! There’s a lot going on in that name, huh? It’s meaty, tomatoey, spinachy, and more! 

And once you add a bit of Parmesan for serving, it’s cheesy, too.

Thanks to the heavy whipping cream, it’s also supremely creamy, even with the chunks of sausage.

Let’s turn our attention back to something a bit more traditional.

This tomato and meat sauce is one that everyone (sans vegetarians) will appreciate. 

It’s simple, easy to make, and yummy to the max. It’s so cheesy and gooey that it feels indulgent.

But at less than 450 calories per serving, it’s actually not that bad. 

And, of course, there’s nothing bad at all about its flavor.

This one had me at ‘bacon.’ So the ‘cream cheese’ is just the icing on the cake. 

I mean, how can you beat a tangy cream sauce with pops of salty, meaty bacon? It might even be better than garlic and butter!

Add a little garlic and Parmesan, and BAM! You’re hooked!

This gorgeous green pesto sauce is simultaneously bright, tangy, and peppery.

The arugula gives it bite, while the lemon and Parmesan bring the tang. 

And if you’ve never made pesto at home before, don’t worry. All you need is a food processor.

Oh, and feel free to tweak the recipe. For example, I often use walnuts instead of pine nuts (they’re much cheaper 😉)

Roasted red peppers, tomato paste, vodka, garlic…are you drooling too?

And I didn’t even get to the Parmesan and burrata cheese yet!

This sauce is so good, it’ll make you swoon. The flavors are so nuanced and complex, you have to experience them yourself.

Add some sliced steak, and you’ve got one helluva dinner!

Because you can never have too many cheese and bacon sauces, here’s one more.

And this one throws broccoli into the mix! 

It’s a little decadent and not the lowest-calorie option on the list. Even so, it’s one you don’t want to miss. 

This super saucy sauce tastes like something straight from an Italian kitchen.

It combines olive oil, onions, garlic, white wine, tomatoes, and more. 

There’s a ton of flavor from the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. And the heavy cream gives it the most luxurious texture. 

It’s the perfect sauce for those who like to mop their plate with bread.

Believe it or not, you’ll pair this already scrumptious broccoli cheese sauce with fried lemon.

I know, right?! Doesn’t that sound – well, a little insane? Whoever thought of frying lemons?!

Still, you’ll love this recipe if you like savory, earthy, and tangy flavors. It’s a wonderfully unique way to experience something as familiar as tortellini. 

This white wine sauce isn’t as thick as some of the other cream sauces on the list. That doesn’t mean it’s any less delicious, though. 

It’s herby and has just a hint of a bite from the red pepper. And you can make it with fewer than ten ingredients.

It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to pull it together, too, so it’s ideal for a busy weeknight.

Mix capers with red peppers and browned butter, and what do you get? One of the best tortellini sauces on the list!

It’s a slightly spicy sauce but isn’t so hot that you can’t enjoy it. And it has a metric ton of flavor.

Every bite will set your taste buds alight. There’s nothing else quite like it on this list. 

Would you prefer something earthier and mild? Check out this recipe for creamy spinach and mushroom sauce.

It includes all the usual stuff – cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. However, it has a more down-to-earth flavor than other options here.

The mushrooms add texture and a slight umami flavor. Meanwhile, spinach is a tasty, healthy addition to any sauce.

This final sauce is also mild and earthy.

It features mushrooms, sage, garlic, and Parmesan, making it creamy and buttery but not too heavy.

It’s also an excellent option for vegetarian tortellini.