Tortellini Alfredo Copycat Panera Recipe

Tortellini Alfredo is a delicious pasta available at Panera Bread restaurants. Now you can make it at home in 15 minutes for an easy pasta dinner.

Years ago, when Tyler was almost a year old, I had to have my wisdom teeth removed. All four of them. At once. I couldn’t eat for nearly a week. We went to Tampa to take photos of a friend’s newborn for them and needed food while we were there. I couldn’t eat much, so they suggested Panera since they have a lot of soups. 

While we were there, I decided to try the tortellini alfredo and it was delicious! You can get it with diced chicken, but I prefer just pasta. That trip was in 2014 and I’ve never gotten anything else at Panera since! 

Every time I would go, I wonder why I didn’t try making it at home yet. I’ve made my own Alfredo sauce before. And we like tortellini recipes. I finally decided to combine the two and make an easy tortellini alfredo recipe, my favorite Panera copycat recipe, at home! The best part is the creamy sauce in this recipe. We like it fairly plain to really taste the rich alfredo sauce, but you can also add a bit of black pepper, fresh garlic, fresh basil, Italian seasoning, or onion powder to your creamy homemade alfredo sauce. 

Unfortunately, they have taken the tortellini alfredo off the menu, so I have to find other food while there. After finding that out, I definitely had to make my own. 

You can purchase frozen tortellini or fresh tortellini pasta from almost any grocery store. As long as it’s cheese-filled tortellini, it will work for this recipe since the first step is to cook the pasta as directed. 

Since this comes together in about 15 minutes, this is a delicious meal for busy weeknights. You can pair it with garlic bread and some fresh vegetables or a side salad for a full meal. If you want to add protein, cook and shred chicken breast and add it to the creamy tortellini alfredo. 

This recipe makes a thick sauce. For those who prefer one that’s thinner, I suggest you melt butter, probably about 4 tbsp or 1/2 stick of butter, and add that to the sauce after the cream cheese. 

Tortellini Alfredo Step by Step

Ingredients

• 19 oz cheese tortellini
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Preparation

Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions.

Heat the heavy cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until warm. Stir occasionally so the milk doesn’t scald. Whisk in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted.

Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Sprinkle in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Fold the cooked tortellini into the Alfredo sauce.

Serve the tortellini Alfredo warm. Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

Leftovers

Storage: Save any leftover tortellini Alfredo in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Reheating: Warm in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a bit of milk or cream if needed to thin the sauce. 

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this meal as one. You can make the creamy alfredo sauce on its own and freeze that, then reheat it with freshly cooked tortellini when you are ready to serve. 

Recipe

Tortellini Alfredo

Tortellini Alfredo is a delicious pasta available at Panera Restaurants. Now you can make it at home in 15 minutes for an easy pasta dinner.

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

alfredo

|

copycat recipe

|

pasta

|

sauce

|

tortellini

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Servings: 5 cups

4.63 from 8 votes

Ingredients

• 19 oz cheese tortellini
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Recommended Equipment

• Saucepan – Medium
• Whisk – Nylon

Instructions

• Cook the tortellini according to the package directions
• Heat the heavy cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until warm stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t scald
• Whisk in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted
• Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted
• Sprinkle in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning
• Fold the cooked tortellini into the alfredo sauce and serve warm

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Nutrition Facts

Tortellini Alfredo

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 819 Calories from Fat 504

% Daily Value*

Fat 56g86%

Saturated Fat 31g155%

Cholesterol 201mg67%

Sodium 892mg37%

Potassium 198mg6%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 1832IU37%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 464mg46%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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• Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
• Tortellini Alfredo Copycat Panera Recipe
• Fettuccine Alfredo

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• Skillet Tortellini and Broccoli Meal
• Tortellini Alfredo Copycat Panera Recipe
• Herbed Tortellini (or Ravioli)
• Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Skillet Dinner with Pasta Sauce
• Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Salad with Lemon Dressing