Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Cheese tortellini tossed with crisp-tender asparagus in a lemon-thyme cream sauce finished with Parmesan. An elegant 18-minute dinner that tastes like spring on a plate.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
8 minCOOK
9 minREADY
18 minWhen asparagus season hits, this is the recipe you reach for.
Chicken broth gets reduced with smashed garlic, fresh thyme sprigs, and strips of lemon zest until it’s concentrated and fragrant. A splash of cream thickened with a touch of cornstarch turns it into a glossy, clingy sauce.
Sliced asparagus simmers for just two minutes so it keeps its snap, then cheese tortellini and grated Parmesan get folded in. Start to finish, you’re eating in under 20 minutes.
Kitchen Tips
- Reduce the broth fully before adding cream. That concentrated flavor is what makes this sauce taste restaurant-level.
- Slice the asparagus on a diagonal into thin pieces so they cook in just two minutes and look gorgeous in the bowl.
- Use refrigerated tortellini for the best texture, but frozen or dried both work. Just adjust boiling time per the package.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. It lifts the whole dish and keeps all that cream from feeling heavy.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil broth with garlic, thyme, zest, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large heavy skillet until reduced to about 1 cup, about 6 minutes.
Discard thyme sprigs and zest.
Meanwhile, cook tortellini in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (1½ tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) according to package directions.
Drain.
Stir cornstarch into cream, then whisk into broth.
Bring to a simmer, whisking, then continue to simmer 1 minute.
Add asparagus and simmer until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Stir in cheese and tortellini and cook, gently stirring, until heated through.
Comments
