Pan Fried Tortellini and Broccoli is a simple, yet incredibly delicious, one pan dinner that's ready in only 20 minutes. It's a simple family-friendly meatless Monday recipe great for busy parents and hungry kids! Tortellini is pan fried in butter and tossed with sauteed broccoli, garlic and red onions. Drizzle with olive oil and top with Parmesan cheese for a complete and nutritious five-star meal!
If your nightly mission is to end the evening with as few dirty dishes as possible, kids who actually ate their dinner, and a dinner that didn't take all day to make, fried tortellini is a meal that you'll love.
When we hear "fried" we often think crispy, deep-fried, breaded, and addictive. But this recipe isn't deep fried— it's pan fried and tossed with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and broccoli. Drizzle with a good quality olive oil, and you've got a delicious dinner ready to serve in about 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
- Frozen tortellini: plus a little butter for pan frying.
- Fresh broccoli
- Mashed garlic: cooks and tastes better than minced garlic in this recipe.
- Red onions
- Parmesan cheese: grated or shredded both work here.
- Olive oil: use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
I find pan fried tortellini to be best when cooked in butter, drizzled with olive oil, and then tossed with salt and pepper. Of course, you can't forget to sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, because no pasta is complete without it. These light and simple ingredients really let the cheesy flavor of the tortellini shine.
Yes, you can use fresh tortellini. They will cook a little quicker than frozen tortellini.
How To Make It
STEP 1: In a large pan, saute the chopped broccoli and red onions in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times. I chop the broccoli on the small side so that it cooks faster.
STEP 2: While the broccoli cooks, combine the garlic cloves and salt in a garlic masher. Mash the garlic well and then add to the pan, cooking for another minute.
STEP 3: Remove the broccoli, onions and garlic to a serving bowl. Add the butter to the pan. When melted add the tortellini to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, tossing a few times so all sides become golden brown and crispy.
STEP 4: Remove tortellini from pan and add to the bowl of broccoli. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle individual serving bowls with parmesan cheese if desired.
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- If your family isn't big on broccoli, you can easily substitute other vegetables they do love. Zucchini, green beans, peas, asparagus, spinach, winter squash, and cauliflower would all work great without changing the cooking time.
- Add rotisserie chicken to make it non-vegetarian.
Storing
Fried tortellini and broccoli keeps well in the fridge for about a week. It reheats in the microwave well too, without causing the tortellini to lose much crispness.
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Recipe
Pan Fried Tortellini and Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
- ¾ cup red onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 24 oz frozen tortellini
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- In a large pan, saute the chopped broccoli and diced red onions in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times.
- While the broccoli cooks, combine the garlic cloves and salt in a garlic masher. Mash the garlic well and then add to the pan, cooking for another minute.
- Remove the broccoli, onions and garlic to a serving bowl. Add the butter to the pan. When melted, add the tortellini and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, tossing a few times so all sides become golden brown and crispy.
- Remove tortellini from pan and add to the bowl of broccoli. Season with more salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle individual serving bowls with parmesan cheese if desired.
Jenny
Pan fried tortellini and broccoli is a fun way to develop flavor and provide your family with a healthy meal. The one pan makes it simple. The results are delicious. Enjoy!
veenaazmanov
This Bowl looks nutritious. Perfect and healthy Dinner option. I love the Pan fried cooking.
Jacqueline Debono
This is a great weeknight recipe. I love being able to cook everything in one pan and the broccoli tasted fantastic. I used fresh spinach and ricotta tortelini but was wondering if you cook yours still frozen or defrost them?
Dennis
Excellent dish! It was easy to make and so delicious, everyone raved!
Sophie
Your pan-fried tortellini and broccoli recipe is beyond amazing! It's quick, easy, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or impressing your friends at a get together.
Silvia
This is a great idea for adding vegetables to a dish. My kids are not fans of veggies at this stage but will eat anything I add to a plate of pasta. I cut the broccoli into very small pieces, and since they love tortellini, they ate everything. This is a very easy and fast dinner.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Such a great way to develop flavor and texture! Seriously this was so easy, so flavorful and so delicious!
Laura Arteaga
Yum! We made this last night and both our kids asked for seconds! We loved it too, so this recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
Hayley Dhanecha
Such an easy and delicious dish! I made for my dinner last night, taking leftovers for my lunch today!
Tristin
My kids had fun making this pasta dish with me. It was easy, delicious and had minimal cleanup!