There are few foods ready faster than dried pasta. One of them is refrigerated tortellini. Thrillingly convenient, these little bundles come in a variety of fillings, but cheese-stuffed usually wins for versatility. All you need is a swift sauce and dinner is done. Sure, you could opt for a jarred marinara or food-processor pesto. But this homemade favorite is also quick, just brown butter (a lot of it), stung with fresh garlic, then splashed with lemon zest and juice. It is weeknight-meets-fancy: quick enough to come together as the tortellini boil, yet vastly more flavorful than the sum of its parts. If dill is not your scene, swap in another tender herb like parsley or basil. Just don’t be shy with the black pepper; it makes the cheese filling sing. While this recipe makes a generous meal for one, you can easily scale it up for a bigger group.
What you’ll need
Large Pot
$65 $50 At Amazon
Medium Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$16 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$19 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
1 serving
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 4 oz. fresh cheese tortellini (about 1 heaping cup) in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, in a medium skillet over medium heat until golden brown and nutty smelling, 2–3 minutes (watch carefully). Remove from heat and stir in 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of freshly ground pepper.
Step 3
Using a mesh sieve, scoop tortellini out of cooking liquid and transfer to skillet with brown butter sauce. Set over low heat and toss to coat, adding a splash or two of pasta cooking liquid if you’d like a looser sauce. Stir in ¼ cup chopped dill and juice of ½ lemon.
Step 4
Transfer pasta to a shallow bowl and top with zest of ½ lemon; season with flaky sea salt and more pepper.
