Tortellini Alfredo with Ham

Looking for an easy, but tasty one-pot meal for those busy weeknights? Tortellini Alfredo is your answer! 

 

I first made this recipe in college using packaged deli ham, powdered alfredo mix and frozen peas. I’ve since taken the recipe up a notch but it still has that nostalgic comfort food taste!

With a homemade alfredo sauce, fresh tortellini and chunks of thick ham, this recipe is sure to be a winner for you and your family.

Why You’ll Love About this Easy Tortellini Alfredo Recipe

What’s not to love about a creamy, delicious pasta recipe that’s ready in a jiffy?

• One pot meal – I love one pan meals because that means less clean up and dishes for me at the end!
• Kid friendly – If you have picky eaters, even they will enjoy eating this creamy pasta recipe. They can even pick around the peas!
• Quick and easy – You can have this meal ready from start to finish in only 25 minutes. Great for those busy weeknights.
• Actual Alfredo Sauce– Some recipes cheat a little and use cream cheese, but making homemade alfredo sauce is so simple there is really no reason to make this “short cut”. It also uses fresh garlic versus garlic powder.

Ingredients

You will easily be able to find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store.

• Fresh tortellini – You can find this in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. You might also find some cheese-filled tortellini frozen.
• Ham – The ham I get from the meat department- it’s much cheaper to buy a hunk of meat and then freeze the rest than to buy processed deli meat. You can also used leftover ham from other recipes too.
• Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter when cooking, that way I’m able to control the salt content in the recipe.
• Fresh garlic – While you can use the pre-minced, jarred garlic, I prefer to use fresh garlic because it packs more of a flavor punch.
• Heavy cream – This will be the base for our tortellini alfredo. It acts as a creamy base and thickener.
• Fresh Parmesan cheese – This is used for both the cream sauce and some extra for garnish. Although this is an easy and quick dish, do freshly grate your parmesan cheese. It will have more flavor and be less dry. 
• Seasoning – I just use a simple blend of coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Crushed red pepper – You certainly don’t have to add red pepper flakes, but I like to add a little heat to my ham tortellini cheese sauce.
• Frozen peas – You can use fresh or canned as well, I just always have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer. And you know I love adding a splash of color- now you don’t even need to chop up fresh parsley.

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this ham and cheese tortellini recipe your own. Here are a few suggestions.

• Veggies – Don’t like peas? There are plenty of other veggies you can throw into the mix. Roasted red peppers, mushrooms, onion, squash, sun dried tomatoes, leeks or asparagus are all great options.
• Cheese – Instead of parmesan cheese, you could certainly use something different. We like pepper-jack cheese or swiss cheese.
• Meat – You can omit the ham or substitute with cooked shrimp, chicken or even turkey. The protein isn’t the important part, it is the sauce and seasonings. Chicken tortellini alfredo is super easy by adding shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken or chopped up baked chicken breasts.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Tortellini Recipe

Making this easy dinner recipe couldn’t be more simple.

1. Cook tortellini. Boil water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Salt well (pasta water should be as salty as seawater). Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain well and set aside.
2. Brown ham. In the same pot, add the cubed ham over medium heat, tossing until browned. Remove to a plate and set side.
3. Sauté garlic. In the same pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic, stirring until soft.
4. Make sauce. Whisk in the cream and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat until it thickens and cheese melts. You might still see little bits- this is the garlic and is fine.
5. Add peas, ham and pasta. Stir in the reserved pasta water and peas, cooking for an additional minute over low heat. Add the ham and tortellini, tossing to coat and reheat.
6. Garnish and serve. To serve, top with additional grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

What to Serve with Cheesy Tortellini

This recipe has a little bit of everything already with the pasta, peas and ham. However, it’s always nice to have a side dish or two to go with it.

With any pasta, I love having some sort of bread. Garlic bread is usually my go to. I also like to have another veggie to go with it. Broccoli, green beans or a side salad are all great options.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Leftover Tortellini

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can microwave to reheat, or reheat in a skillet, which I prefer.

Can I Freeze Tortellini?

I do not suggest freezing this recipe, the noodles thaw soggy.

More One Pot Meals

I love a good one pot meal, especially on busy weeknights. Here are some of our favorites.