Creamy French Onion Tortellini is a one pan tortellini recipe that always satisfies! Tender bites of tortellini are served in a creamy, cheesy French onion sauce that features caramelized onions and a bold medley of herbs and seasonings. Comfort food doesn’t get better than this!
Creamy French Onion Tortellini Recipe
Next time you’re craving some true comfort food that warms both your body and soul, this is the easy pasta recipe to turn to! Onions are caramelized in butter with garlic and brown sugar before a bouquet of herbs and seasonings are mixed in to create even more flavor, and that’s just the start of this recipe! What really seals the deal for me is the perfect amount of gruyere cheese that gets stirred into the final product to make everything supremely cheesy. This one-pan recipe couldn’t be easier, cheesier, or more comforting!
Tortellini is one of my favorite ingredients to use in my kitchen. When you’re dreaming of a comforting pasta dinner, check out my recipes for Creamy Tomato Tortellini or Creamy Spinach Mushroom Tortellini!
What Else Can I Add to French Onion Tortellini?
This recipe is so versatile! You can add chicken, shrimp, or steak to the dish. You could caramelize the onions with portobello mushrooms for a rich, decadent pasta dish. You could also add broccoli or asparagus for a pop of fresh flavor. If you’re looking for a Cajun-style pasta, you can add Cajun seasonings and as much heat as you’d like!
How to Make Creamy French Onion Tortellini
1. Caramelize the onions. You’ll cook these for about 25 minutes total. Don’t be worried about the amount of time, it’s pretty hands off, you just need to stir every once in a while. The addition of brown sugar helps the onions caramelize faster.
2. Warm the broth. Add the broth, herbs, and seasonings to the skillet. Stir for 2-3 and bring to a simmer.
3. Cook the tortellini. Add the tortellini and heavy cream to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir often.
4. Make it cheesy. Remove the bay leaf, then add 1 cup of gruyère cheese. Stir until fully mixed in and the sauce is thick and cheesy!
5. Serve and enjoy! Top the pasta with 1 cup of gruyère cheese, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and let the cheese melt before serving.
Storing Creamy French Onion Tortellini
Once the dish cools to room temperature, you can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing French onion tortellini.
How to Make It Ahead of Time
While you can always reheat your leftovers in the fridge, they’re never as good as when the pasta has been freshly made. If you want to save yourself a little time, though, there is an easy way to prepare part of this pasta ahead of time and still have great results!
You can prepare the onions ahead of time. Caramelize them according to the instructions, then let them fully cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ingredient Notes for Creamy French Onion Tortellini
Onions – Yellow onions are the only ones I recommend using for this recipe because of their natural sweetness. I don’t recommend using white or red onions.
Garlic – Fresh garlic will create the best aroma and flavor. Avoid the pre-minced stuff if you can!
Beef Broth – Keep things less salty by using low-sodium broth.
Red Pepper Flakes – With the small amount listed in this recipe, this spice is present to add flavor, not a ton of heat. However, you can always sprinkle in more or less to fit your needs!
Heavy Cream – You can swap this with half and half, but you should note that your sauce won’t be as thick or creamy as it would be with heavy cream.
Gruyere Cheese – If you’re not a fan of gruyère cheese, you can replace it with American Swiss cheese, goat cheese or blue cheese.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Creamy French Onion Tortellini
Ingredients
- 3 Medium Yellow Onions thinly sliced
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- ½ teaspoon Dried Sage
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes use more or less
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 19 Ounces Cheese Tortellini frozen or fresh/dried
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 7 Ounces 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
- Top with fresh thyme Optional
Instructions
- Remove the tortellini from the freezer if using frozen.
- In a large cast iron skillet add the onions, butter, garlic, and light brown sugar. Over high heat stir for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 more minutes or until the onions are caramelized and there is a nice golden-rich color. Continually stir so the onions don’t burn or get crispy.
- Add the broth, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Stir for 2-3 and bring to a simmer.
- Add the tortellini and heavy cream to the skillet.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir continually.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Add 1 cup of gruyère cheese. Stir until fully mixed in and the sauce is thick.
- If you would like more moisture, you can add more heavy cream or beef broth. You could add 1/4 of a cup at a time until you have the creaminess you would like.
- Top the pasta with 1 cup of gruyère cheese.
- Turn the heat to low. Add a lid and allow the pasta to remain warm for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Video
Notes
- You can make this onion pasta in a cast iron skillet or any other type of skillet or pot that can go on top of the stove.
- You can prep the onions ahead of time. In a large cast iron skillet add the onions, butter, garlic, and light brown sugar. Once cooled place in the fridge.
- You want to make sure you take your time to caramelize the onions, as this is where the magic of this dish happens. If time is not on your side you can do step 3 and step 4 the day before.
A keeper