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This Pesto Tortellini with Pancetta and Broccoli is a quick 20-minute dinner with just 4 ingredients! If you love garlic, basil, cheese and pasta, then this is the dish for you. Serve the cheese tortellini and pesto sauce with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for an easy, flavorful weeknight meal!
Cheese Tortellini with Pesto
This recipe comes courtesy of my mom, who whipped it up one night for my dad and quickly shared the idea with me. Knowing that my boys are pesto (and pasta) lovers, she instantly realized that it would be a hit in my house, too. Moms always know best, and this pesto tortellini with pancetta and broccoli does not disappoint!
I appreciate the convenience of a quick-cooking meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes. The broccoli and the tortellini cook in the same pot of boiling water, while a store-bought pesto sauce combines with salty pancetta for tons of rich flavor. Toss it all together and dinner is ready!
Tortellini Pasta
Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta originally from the Italian region of Emilia. They are typically stuffed with meat, cheese or spinach, and are sold either frozen, fresh, or dried. In this recipe, I’ve shown frozen cheese tortellini, which cooks straight from the freezer in 2-3 minutes, but a package of fresh/refrigerated tortellini is also fine. You’ll need a total of about 16-20 ounces, depending on the brand that you choose.
What is the difference between tortellini and ravioli?
While both pastas are stuffed with meats, cheeses, or vegetables, they are not quite the same. Ravioli is two layers of pasta that form a pillow-like shape, whereas tortellini is folded into hat-like, ring shapes that are similar to dumplings.
Can you eat tortellini without sauce?
Like any other pasta, tortellini is best when served with a sauce for moisture and flavor. Even if it’s just a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter, you’ll want something to finish off the dish and prevent the pasta from becoming dry and sticky. Here we’re using either store-bought basil pesto sauce or homemade pesto sauce, which is a simple a blend of basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, grated cheese and (sometimes) butter.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the basil pesto tortellini. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Cheese tortellini: either fresh or frozen tortellini will work in this recipe. You can substitute with a meat or veggie-stuffed tortellini if you prefer.
- Broccoli: cut into bite-size florets so that it cooks quickly in the pasta water.
- Pancetta: a salume made of salt-cured pork belly meat. It’s considered “Italian bacon,” and is typically used to add depth to soups and pastas. You can substitute with regular thick-cut American bacon, if necessary (but the dish will have a slightly different flavor).
- Basil pesto: use a jar of store-bought pesto sauce for convenience. You can find this in most grocery stores on the same aisle where you find the regular jars of spaghetti sauce and marinara. If you have a lot of fresh basil on hand, you can prepare a batch of homemade pesto for this recipe.
- Optional additional ingredients such as butter, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan cheese add a nice finishing touch to the dish.
How to Make Pesto Tortellini
Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because this dinner comes together very quickly!
- Boil the tortellini and broccoli florets in a large pot of salted water. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining — you’ll need it to thin your sauce later!
- Cook the diced pancetta in a large skillet.
- Stir in pesto and 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.
- Add tortellini and broccoli, tossing gently to coat.
- Stir in extra pesto, pasta water, or a pat of butter until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
- Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.
What to Serve with Pesto Tortellini
This is basically a one-pot meal, thanks to the pasta, pancetta, and broccoli in the same skillet. If you’d like to complete the dinner with a couple of easy sides, here are some good options that pair nicely with the cheese tortellini:
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Caesar Salad
- House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Crusty Baguette or a loaf of No-Knead Bread
- Homemade Focaccia
- Garlic Bread
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Lemon
- Corn and Zucchini Gratin
Storage
This dish is best served immediately while the sauce is warm and the broccoli is fresh. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the pasta and sauce gently over low heat on the stovetop just until warmed through, or put individual portions in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and warm for about 1-2 minutes. You might need to add some extra pesto sauce or a couple pats of butter to loosen up the sauce as it reheats, since the pasta will absorb a lot of the sauce while it sits. Overcooked pasta will become gummy and the broccoli can get mushy, so don’t reheat for too long.
I do not recommend freezing the pesto tortellini, as the pasta and broccoli will have a gummy, mushy texture when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half. You can purchase fresh tortellini in 9-ounce packages, which would be perfect for half of the recipe.
- Add spinach or frozen peas at the end of the cooking time in lieu of the broccoli. Spinach and peas only need a couple of minutes to soften in the dish.
- Omit the veggies altogether and just serve the tortellini with the pancetta and sauce.
- Instead of cheese tortellini, try other flavors such as chicken, sausage, or spinach tortellini.
- If you don’t have access to pancetta, you can substitute with an equal amount of thick-cut bacon.
- Add a can of drained, petite-diced tomatoes or swap out the broccoli for fresh cherry tomatoes. Sundried tomatoes would also be great in this dish.
- Fresh herbs will add delicious flavor! Try extra basil, parsley, chives, thyme or oregano.
- For crunch, garnish with toasted almonds or pine nuts.
Tips for the Best Pesto Tortellini Recipe
- Don’t forget to reserve the pasta water to use in your sauce. The pasta releases starches as it boils, so that salty, starchy pasta water is great for adding flavor and texture to the sauce.
- The pancetta drippings are a key ingredient in this sauce. They add flavor and fat to prevent the pasta from drying out. If you don’t want to use pancetta, substitute with thick-cut bacon. If you don’t want to use any meat, you’ll need to add some olive oil to your skillet.
- Stir in additional pesto and/or additional pasta water at the end to thin the sauce and flavor it until it reaches your desired consistency. Don’t be shy — stir in as much as necessary — you don’t want to end up with dry tortellini!
- I like to stir 1-2 tablespoons of butter into the dish at the very end. This loosens up the sauce, adds flavor, and just keeps the tortellini really moist and delicious.
- Garnish each serving with additional Parmesan or fresh basil for more flavor in every bite.
More Cheese Tortellini Recipes to Try
- Tortellini Soup with Meatballs
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Baked Tortellini Alfredo with Chicken
- Chicken and Tortellini Salad
Pesto Tortellini with Pancetta and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 16-20 ounce package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 cup diced pancetta (about 8 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade basil pesto, plus more if needed
- Optional, for serving: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, salted butter
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions for al dente. During the final 3 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. (My tortellini only required 2-3 minutes total for cooking, so I added the tortellini and broccoli to the boiling water at the same time). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the tortellini and broccoli.
- Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until the pancetta has rendered and the meat is caramelized, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; stir in the pesto and 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.
- Add the tortellini and broccoli, tossing gently to coat. Add more pesto or more pasta water, as necessary, until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon or two of butter to the skillet at the very end and toss until melted, if desired. Garnish with Parmesan and fresh basil.
Notes
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half. You can purchase fresh tortellini in 9-ounce packages, which would be perfect for half of the recipe.
- Add spinach or frozen peas at the end of the cooking time in lieu of the broccoli. Spinach and peas only need a couple of minutes to soften in the dish.
- Omit the veggies altogether and just serve the tortellini with the pancetta and sauce.
- Instead of cheese tortellini, try other flavors such as chicken, sausage, or spinach tortellini.
- If you don’t have access to pancetta, you can substitute with an equal amount of thick-cut bacon.
- Add a can of drained, petite-diced tomatoes or swap out the broccoli for fresh cherry tomatoes. Sundried tomatoes would also be great in this dish.
- Fresh herbs will add great flavor! Try extra basil, parsley, chives, thyme or oregano.
- For crunch, garnish with toasted almonds or pine nuts.
- Don’t forget to reserve the pasta water to use in your sauce. The pasta releases starches as it boils, so that salty, starchy pasta water is great for adding flavor and texture to the sauce.
- The pancetta drippings are a key ingredient in this sauce. They add flavor and fat to prevent the pasta from drying out. If you don’t want to use pancetta, substitute with thick-cut bacon. If you don’t want to use any meat, you’ll need to add some olive oil to your skillet.
- Stir in additional pesto and/or additional pasta water at the end to thin the sauce and flavor it until it reaches your desired consistency. Don’t be shy — stir in as much as necessary — you don’t want to end up with dry tortellini!
- I like to stir 1-2 tablespoons of butter into the dish at the very end. This loosens up the sauce, adds flavor, and just keeps the tortellini really moist and delicious.
- Garnish each serving with additional Parmesan or fresh basil for more flavor in every bite.
I always follow the recipe the first time!! For US it’s a three star as written. Had all the ingredients on hand and it’s quick and easy. For my family though sub out the pancetta for thick sliced pepper bacon and it’s a 4-5 star. Thanks!!!
Thanks, Victoria! Bacon is a great swap for the pancetta. 🙂