Italian Dishes

Tortellini with Classic Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Posted by koolaidmoms on

As we sat up on the bluff the other night watching the sunset I realized there will be fewer and fewer of these nights. It seems as if the summer has flown by. It is hard to believe that school will soon be starting and the wind and snow will begin to blow.

I am still in a bit of the end of summer blues feeling as I see everyone online posting their back to school pictures. I am determined to keep up our summer fun. But, I wanted really comforting food for dinner. Pasta was in the freezer so it was perfect. I let the kids choose the sauce, either pesto cream or Alfredo sauce. They chose the Alfredo sauce.

What is Alfredo sauce? Depends on who you ask. I have learned that the American version of Alfredo sauce is very different from the Italian version of Alfredo sauce. The American version (which this is) is butter, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. It may also have black pepper, garlic, cream cheese, flour, and or a pinch of nutmeg. The Italian (or Roman) version is simply butter and Parmesan cheese. That is all. Now it had LOTS of butter in it. They would toss the hot homemade fettucine noodles with lots of butter and Parmesan cheese until they melted together to form a wonderful sauce. Many believe the American versions were brought about to cut time in the amount of time it took to toss the noodles until the sauce was perfectly silky or that the cheese available in the 1950s and 1960s was so inferior in the United States that they needed other items to add more flavor and make it smoother. Either way both sound delicious to me.

Verdict:

I wanted the heavy, creamy American version of the sauce for this dish. I will make the other version next time. But, this was exactly what I was looking for. My kids loved the creamy, cheesy sauce with a hit of black pepper to add a bit of punch to the dish.

I served this meal with a warm crusty Italian bread and green beans.

Tortellini with Classic Homemade Alfredo Sauce

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 24 oz. frozen or refrigerated tortellini, cooked according to package directions
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (not green can!)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. As you put tortellini in to cook melt 1/2 cup of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the whipping cream and allow it to become hot in the pan while stirring occasionally.  This will take about 8-9 minutes.
  2. Stir in the cheese and black pepper to the butter mixture. Continue to heat for 4-5 minutes until sauce thickens a bit. Taste and add black pepper as necessary.
  3. Serve over hot tortellini with additional Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.

 

17 Comments Add yours

  1. ckennedyhola says:
    August 16, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    I’m feeling those end of summer blues too. Alex doesn’t start until September 6th, but so many of my out of town friends are posting back to school pictures on Facebook. Ugh! Thanks for the post–and the recipe–looks great!

    Like

    Reply
  2. Samantha Kresz says:
    August 16, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Tortellini Alfredo is one my favorite dishes. Thanks for sharing this simple recipe so I can make it at home.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. koolaidmoms says:
      August 16, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      Thank you!

      Like

      Reply
  3. Lynz Real Cooking says:
    August 16, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    Yes the end of summer! Lovely picture!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. koolaidmoms says:
      August 16, 2017 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you, Lynn.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Lynz Real Cooking says:
        August 16, 2017 at 5:20 pm

        Hope all is well dear Marci!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. koolaidmoms says:
          August 16, 2017 at 5:24 pm

          It is. Read your pistol and so glad you are back writing!

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
          1. Lynz Real Cooking says:
            August 16, 2017 at 5:25 pm

            Thanks so much Marci! I am trying

            Like

            Reply
        2. koolaidmoms says:
          August 16, 2017 at 5:24 pm

          *post hate autocorrect

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
          1. Lynz Real Cooking says:
            August 16, 2017 at 5:25 pm

            hahaha

            Like

            Reply
  4. Pingback: Tortellini with Classic Homemade Alfredo Sauce — What’s for Dinner Moms? – Suman Ds Blog
  5. mistimaan says:
    August 17, 2017 at 6:23 am

    very yummy……loved it 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. koolaidmoms says:
      August 17, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      Thank you!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. The F Word says:
    August 17, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Sounds amazing! Wish there was a dairy free alternative!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. koolaidmoms says:
      August 17, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Yeah. I think I have heard of one with cashew cheese but I have never tried it. I may have to look for it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Polkadotblonde says:
    August 18, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Oh yum that looks so good and creamy.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. koolaidmoms says:
      August 18, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      Thank you so very much!

      Like

      Reply

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