Tortellini Pumpkin Alfredo Recipe – An Easy Fall Comfort Food Recipe

Tortellini Pumpkin Alfredo combines two classic comfort foods into one delicious and easy to make dish. Three cheese stuffed tortellini is cooked and tossed in an easy, homemade sauce that is full of Fall flavor.

It is the perfect dinner recipe when you are craving a filling meal but don’t want to spend a lot of time or effort in the kitchen. In fact, the entire dish can be ready to eat within 15 minutes!

As the tortellini is boiling, the sauce is cooking in a separate skillet. Then when the pasta is ready, everything is tossed together and dinner is ready.

You can serve it as a complete vegetarian meal with garlic bread. Or serve it as a side dish alongside your favorite protein.

However, because tortellini are rather dense and filling, especially when you are serving it with a thick sauce like pumpkin Alfredo, I would suggest serving it with something light. For example, keeping with the Italian theme you can serve it with Caprese Salad Appetizer or a simple garden salad.

But if you are in the mood for something more, make some Air Fryer Meatballs and add them to the sauce as well. However my favorite way to serve this side dish is with my Award Winning Pumpkin Chili recipe.

The flavors of the two dishes pair really well together and it gives me the chance to use the entire can of pumpkin puree when I cut the chili recipe in half.

However, before getting to the actual recipe, I must first answer a common question of what the difference is between tortellini and ravioli.

The Difference Between Tortellini and Ravioli

Although both originated in Italy, there is a difference between the two types of stuffed pasta. The first and most obvious is the shape.

Ravioli is traditionally made by placing ricotta cheese between two thin layers of pasta. They were then cut into individual squares and cooked in a broth.

Tortellini on the other hand were made by placing ricotta cheese on small round cut outs of a thicker pasta. Then its infamous shape was formed by folding the pasta into a semi circle, then taking the two edges and pulling them together into a ring shape.

Although in more recent years, ravioli has been stuffed with a variety of ingredients, tortellini took this tradition on much earlier. Instead of ricotta cheese, tortellini often has a filling of various meats including prosciutto, mortadella, and pork loin.

And there is one final difference between the two types of filled pasta. Ravioli is often boiled and tossed in a traditional marinara sauce when served.

Tortellini on the other hand is often boiled and tossed with a variety of sauces. Some of the most common sauces to serve tortellini are garlic butter, pesto, cheesy Alfredo, and in the Fall months Pumpkin Alfredo.

Where To Purchase Tortellini Pasta

When you head to the grocery to purchase tortellini for this recipe, you may quickly become confused. Although tortellini is a type of pasta, you may not easily find it in the pasta aisle.

So instead of wasting time roaming the aisles of the grocery in search of the stuffed pasta, here are some places that you will want to look first.

1. Refrigerated Cheese Aisle

This may sound a little odd, but you can often find packages of stuffed tortellini in the same aisle that you find cheese. That is because most of the time tortellini is sold as a refrigerated product.

Although it may not be in that exact location at your local store definitely keep a look out in the dairy section for bags of stuffed tortellini.

2. Freezer Case

If you are going to make Tortellini Pumpkin Alfredo at a later date, it may be better to purchase a bag of frozen tortellini. Check your freezer section by the other bags of frozen pasta.

I often buy frozen noodles when I make one of my favorite comfort foods, chicken noodles over mashed potatoes. And the bags of frozen ravioli and tortellini are often in the same area.

3. Pasta Aisle

Yes, you can actually find dried tortellini in the pasta aisle at most large grocery stores. Although I am sure that there are other brands, look for the famous blue bag of Three Cheese Barilla Tortellini.

That is the only brand that I found at my Kroger Marketplace store, however, depending on where you live, you may find other options.

Tortellini Pumpkin Alfredo Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INSTRUCTIONS

• 9-ounce package of three cheese tortellini
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, unsalted
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup reserved tortellini pasta water
• Chopped fresh parsley, for topping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then once it is at a rapid boil, add the tortellini and cook per label instructions.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the tortellini water for later use and set aside. Then drain the remaining water from the tortellini and set the pasta aside.

As the tortellini is boiling place a large skillet over medium high heat and add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Then add the garlic and saute for one additional minute. Be sure to stir the entire time to prevent the garlic from browning.

Add the pumpkin puree and ground nutmeg to the skillet and stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a light simmer. Be sure to stir frequently and continue to cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the fresh grated Parmesan cheese and cook until thick, about 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the Pasta and Sauce

Add the drained tortellini to the skillet with the pumpkin Alfredo sauce and toss until the pasta is well coated. Add some of the reserved cooking water to thin out the sauce if needed.

Divide the tortellini among two shallow bowls and top with more Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

It is best to serve this dish immediately as the sauce will thicken as it cools.

Enjoy! Mary

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