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Cheese Tortellini with Vegetables

Cheese tortellini with vegetables tossed in a light garlic-parmesan butter sauce, with crisp-tender zucchini, bell pepper, and just-wilted spinach. Tender refrigerated tortellini is cooked until it floats, then glazed with reserved pasta water for a glossy finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 lb refrigerated cheese tortellini
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter divided
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Zucchini
  • 1 zucchini medium, sliced half-moons
Red bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
Dried Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Baby spinach
  • 2 cups baby spinach
Parmesan
  • 0.33 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving
Reserved pasta water
  • 0.25 cup reserved pasta water
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or basil
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley or basil chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the Tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions until they float and are tender, about 3–4 minutes, then reserve 1/4 cup pasta water and drain.
Sauté the Vegetables
  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and bell pepper and cook 4–5 minutes until crisp-tender and lightly browned at the edges.
Add Tomatoes and Garlic
  1. Stir in cherry tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes until tomatoes soften and garlic is fragrant.
Wilt the Spinach
  1. Add baby spinach to the skillet and toss until just wilted, about 1 minute (it should turn bright green).
Combine with Tortellini
  1. Add drained tortellini and the remaining 2 tbsp butter to the skillet. Toss gently and add reserved pasta water a splash at a time to create a light glossy sauce.
Finish with Parmesan
  1. Sprinkle in grated Parmesan and toss until melted and coating everything. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Top with chopped fresh parsley or basil and extra Parmesan, then serve immediately while hot.

Notes

For the glossiest sauce, add reserved pasta water gradually—stop when it looks lightly saucy rather than watery. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Freezing isn’t recommended because tortellini and greens can soften and water out. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat Parmesan or swap part-skim cheese tortellini.