Lemon Butter Tortellini Sauce

Name: Lemon Butter Tortellini Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 20 ounces fresh tortellini; 4 Tablespoons salted butter; 1 cup yellow onion (finely diced); 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 Tablespoons lemon juice; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated); ¼ cup fresh basil (julienned)

By Laura

Posted Feb 17, 2023, Updated Aug 16, 2024

5 from 4 votes

2 Comments

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This simple lemon butter tortellini sauce is easy to make with 6 ingredients in 5 minutes. It’s a delicious, quick and easy dinner recipe your whole family will love!

a pot of tortellini with lemon butter tortellini sauce, garnished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese

Tortellini is such an easy and delicious pasta to whip up on busy weeknights, and this is the best tortellini sauce ever (also try our homemade marinara sauce and meat sauce recipes).

Made with only 6 ingredients including butter, olive oil and lemon juice, you can have dinner on the table in less than 10 minutes (if using fresh tortellini) with this easy recipe!

a bowl of tortellini with lemon butter tortellini sauce, garnished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese

Lemon Tortellini Sauce: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Tortellini Sauce recipe

Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well.
Yellow Onion. Choose your favorite onion variety, I recommend a sweet white or yellow onion.
Minced Garlic. Use either freshly minced garlic or jarred.
Lemon Juice. Use freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice (I suggest organic).
Parmesan Cheese & Fresh Basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

How to Make Tortellini Sauce

Let’s walk through how to make the best sauce for tortellini step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Cook the Tortellini

Begin this recipe by cooking the tortellini according to package instructions. Once it’s al dente, drain the pasta but do not rinse.

Make the Tortellini Sauce

While tortellini is cooking, heat the butter onion garlic and olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.

Cover and cook until the onion is soft and translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

two photos showing How to Make Tortellini Sauce

Then, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook uncovered for an additional 1 minute.

making tortellini sauce in a pot, adding salt and pepper

After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat, add cooked tortellini and stir until evenly distributed.

two photos showing How to Make Tortellini Sauce in a pot

Serve

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, julienned fresh basil, etc. I enjoy serving this recipe with a side of roasted broccoli or a burrata salad!

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

tortellini with lemon butter tortellini sauce, garnished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese

Tortellini Sauce Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with tortellini?

Here are some suggestions for dishes you can serve with this recipe!
Roasted veggies: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
Salads: burrata salad, kale salad, panzanella salad, etc.
Bread: homemade french bread, no knead bread, etc.

Can I double or halve this recipe?

If you have a container of tortellini that is only 10 oz, you can easily halve this recipe. Or you can easily double the recipe.

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