A creamy, cheesy pasta dish made with cheese tortellini, fresh spinach, and a vibrant tomato sauce. This easy recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners and loved by the whole family.
Cheese Tortellini with Creamy Tomato and Spinach Sauce is the perfect example of how a little extra effort can turn something simple into something special. Though it starts with store-bought tortellini, this dish delivers all the satisfaction of a homemade meal. It comes together in minutes, making it perfect for busy nights when you want something quick but with a little extra flair. The creamy sauce, made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, spinach, and cream, adds so much flavor.
The creamy, tangy tomato sauce perfectly complements the cheese-filled tortellini, and the addition of spinach gives it a fresh pop of flavor that elevates the whole meal. It's the kind of dinner that feels comforting yet sophisticated, and it's easy enough to make for a weeknight family dinner.
Even though it starts with a shortcut (the store-bought tortellini), this recipe gives you all the satisfaction of a homemade meal, and the best part is it takes just minutes to bring it all together. It’s easy to make, full of flavor, and perfect for feeding a crowd—whether it's family, friends, or just the people you love having around the dinner table.
This recipe comes together quickly, making it perfect for those busy nights when you want something hearty and comforting but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. The tortellini cooks up in no time, and the creamy sauce, made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, spinach, and a splash of cream, is so rich and flavorful.
If you’ve been searching for a dinner that feels a little bit fancy but is still super easy to make, this creamy tortellini is for you. It’s the kind of meal everyone will love, and it’s simple enough for those busy weeknights when you need something quick but satisfying.
Ingredients:
12 oz. tortellini (you can use any kind, I used cheese)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼-1/2 cup vodka, optional
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, with the juice (you can use half of another can, if you like to have more sauce)
2 - 2 ½ cups baby spinach, packed
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
fresh herbs: parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.
salt, pepper
How To Make Cheese Tortellini With a Creamy Tomato and Spinach Sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. This is another recipe that takes as much time as it takes a pot of water to boil, as long as your prep your ingredients ahead of time. Awesome!
While you are waiting for the water to boil, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and slightly golden. 
Add the garlic to the center of the pan, and cook for another 30 seconds or so. If you want the sauce to have a bit of heat, add some red pepper flakes at this point too. 
Deglaze the skillet with the vodka, scraping to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet.
If you would prefer not to use the vodka, simply omit it from the recipe. You do not need to substitute anything for it.
Since I know some of you will ask, here's why I use vodka in sauces: The vodka will bring out the tomato flavor even more and give the sauce some zing and lots of great flavor. It really makes the sauce smooth and increases the natural sugars in the tomatoes. It adds lots of flavor to the sauce, but will not taste "boozy", as long as you don't use too much of it and let it reduce, allowing most of the alcohol to evaporate. The alcohol level should not be more than 1-2% once the sauce is cooked.
Cook on high heat until the vodka has reduced and there is barely any of the liquid left in the skillet. 
Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5-7 minutes. 
Add the spinach to the skillet, increase the heat to medium high and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the spinach starts to wilt. 
Pour in the heavy cream and add most of the Parmesan cheese, reserving a small portion to garnish the plates with.
Stir to combine and turn off the heat. 
Meanwhile, when the water boils, add the tortellini and cook for 2 minutes only. 
Drain the tortellini from the water and add the pasta to the sauce.
Serve the tortellini and sauce with fresh herbs and more Parmesan cheese.
Cheese Tortellini With a Creamy Tomato and Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz. tortellini you can use any kind, I used cheese
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼-1/2 cup vodka optional
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes with the juice (you can use half of another can, if you like to have more sauce)
- 2 - 2 ½ cups baby spinach packed
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- fresh herbs parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.
- salt pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- While you are waiting for the water to boil, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and slightly golden.
- Add the garlic to the center of the pan, and cook for another 30 seconds or so. If you want the sauce to have a bit of heat, add some red pepper flakes at this point too.
- Deglaze the skillet with the vodka, scraping to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. If you would prefer not to use the vodka, simply omit it from the recipe. You do not need to substitute anything for it. Cook on high heat until the vodka has reduced and there is barely any of the liquid left in the skillet.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the skillet, increase the heat to medium high and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Pour in the heavy cream and add most of the Parmesan cheese, reserving a small portion to garnish the plates with. Stir to combine and turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, when the water boils, add the tortellini and cook for 2 minutes only. Drain the tortellini from the water and add the pasta to the sauce.
- Serve the tortellini and sauce with fresh herbs and more Parmesan cheese.
Very good and easy recipe. Thanks!
Do you by chance have a cookbook published? My printer is red hot right now 😂 So many yummy recipes!
Not yet:). Thank you for the kind words.
weird garlic question: is it ok to use pressed garlic instead of minced/chopped garlic? and im mean in any recipie calling for minced garlic. is it ok to use a shortcut and press it instead or will the flavor/texture be off?
thanks olga!
Yes, Olga, you can use the garlic press or mince it by hand.
Hi Olga. Remember me? I posted on your Banana Foster Oatmeal recipe! Your my role model and I love every little bit of what you bake. Please post a tortellini recipe! I really appreciate it! Blessings!
That's so sweet of you to say, Julia. Thank you.
It was amazing dinner dish! I loved every bit of it! Thank you again!
Honestly every recipe I made from your blog it was always soooo good! I know I can trust your recipes for sure! Can't go wrong with your step by step recipes!:)
That's so awesome, Julia!
Olga thanks, You just made dinner a lot simpler! Easy and fast but most importantly it was delicious! I made this today and everyone loved it!
I'm so glad that you liked it, Vera! Thanks for taking the time to write.
Kids aproved! Thanks for the recipe!
That's awesome, Tanya! Glad to hear that. It's always so important to find food that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Wow I have to try this one!!! Would that be ok to use rum not vodka? (Because I have only rum on hand now). Thank you for delish looking recipe!:)
I wouldn't recommend it, Julia. Vodka doesn't have a distinct flavor and melds really well with the tomato sauce. Rum has a very distinctive taste and I would not use it for this recipe. You can either omit it completely, or use wine instead.
Which brand of tortellini do you buy?
There isn't a specific brand of tortellini that I buy. Choose whichever one that you like or that is available, Masha.
Honestly I never bought tortellini before or even tried tortellini. So I am not sure where do even look for it? Pasta section or freezer section?? I am just looking for some recommendations.
Grocery stores are different around the country, Masha. In our area, tortellini can be found with the fresh pasta in the refrigerator section, or in the freezer section of the store. I'm sure if you asked one of the store workers, they could point you in the right direction. Just follow the instructions on the package to cook the tortellini, before adding it to the sauce, remembering to slightly undercook it, since it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Sounds good. Thanks for getting back to me. I already bought the spinach. Just have to go to store and get some tortellini. I will let you know how it turned out. Can I use white wine instead of vodka?
You can either use white wine or omit it from the recipe, Masha.
Made this yesterday! Me and my husband both enjoyed it. I like that it was quick meal. Thanks again.
That's awesome, Masha! Glad to know you enjoyed it.
This looks great and I want to try it, but I have a question. Why does the tortellini only cook for 2 minutes? The one I usually buy says to cook for 6-8 minutes, before that time it's still hard. Should I follow package instructions or would they be fine after only 2 minutes..?
The ones I bought are on the small side and only take 2 minutes to cook. Also, the ones I buy are fresh. I don't know, maybe the ones you buy are frozen. Use the package instructions. By all means, cook them as long as you like.
How much of the spinach do you use?
Didn't see it in the ingredients list 🙂
Good catch, Marina. 2 - 2 1/2 cups of baby spinach, tightly packed into the cup.