This Lemon Tortellini recipe features a rich garlic butter sauce that perfectly coats each tender bite. Fresh dill adds a bright, herby finish that balances the citrus and brings the dish to life.
Restaurant worthy Lemon Tortellini
I clearly cannot get enough of fresh herbs or citrus this spring…hence the White Bean Herby Salad, Lemon Zucchini Cake, and Dill Feta Dip all on the blog.
Another underrated noodle: tortellini. Personally I’m team tortellini over ravioli. I think it’s easier to eat AND create with. The sauce gets in and around the noodle instead of just on top, ya know?!? A winner in my opinion.
This creamy lemon tortellini recipe has the most delicious homemade lemon butter sauce, with a good amount of garlic balanced by rich cream. The dill parmesan mixture might just be my favorite part. Made with an egg yolk gives vibes of a carbonara, but lighter and more fresh flavors.
Plus, this is a quick dinner that comes together in just 15 minutes of prep time making it perfect for busy nights when you’re looking for an easy recipe with simple ingredients and SO much flavor.
Recipe Inspiration
I’m working on building the tortellini index on APOP. We have a few stellar recipes so far: Tortellini Carbonara, Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, and my Mom’s Chicken Tortellini Soup. So to say I’m well versed in the stuffed noodle would feel like enough qualification to develop another niche recipe for it!
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter & Half and Half – These will form the base of our creamy sauce.
- Garlic – Minced and sautéed in the butter to caramelize the flavor.
- Broth – I uses bone broth for more protein, but chicken broth or veggie broth work, too.
- Lemon – Juiced and zested on a microplane grater.
- Tortellini – I used store-bought tortellini; particularly, this three cheese tortellini. You could also use spinach tortellini or even a chicken tortellini.
- Egg Yolk – Stirred in with parmesan cheese to create a rich, luscious pasta sauce.
- Dill – Finely diced to create the brightest flavored dish.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Add a protein! Shrimp, chicken, even paired with salmon I think would be a great addition.
Switch up the herbs: Parsley and fresh basil leaves would both go well in this dish, too.
Add veggies: Fresh spinach, sautéed kale, zucchini, bell pepper, or brocolini would all go well in this fresh pasta dish.
Use another noodle: Ravioli for a similar stuffed pasta situation or the sauce would even be delicious on plain spaghetti, penne, or bowtie noodles.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Heat a deep, large skillet to medium heat. Once warm, add butter. Let it melt and then add minced garlic with salt and pepper. Stir to avoid burning.
2. When fragrant, pour in the broth and tortellini noodles with the butter mixture. There should be just enough broth to cover the noodles. Cover and let the tortellini cook for 6-8 minutes or until broth is almost absorbed and noodles are cooked. Stir the noodles once or twice while cooking.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, make the lemon dill mixture. Use a fork to separate the egg yolk. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and fresh dill weed. Stir together until the egg is fully incorporated into the mixture.
4. Once the tortellini noodles are done cooking, remove the skillet from heat. Fold the dill and egg mixture into the noodles and stir continuously. This will ensure the egg doesn’t fry but is spread throughout. While stirring, gradually pour half and half into the pasta in 2 tablespoon increments. The amount of broth left will vary and we want the pasta to be a light, creamy sauce.
5. Garnish with fresh lemon zest, pinch of red pepper flakes, serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
The half and half can curdle if it’s heated too quickly. Ensure your skillet has the heat OFF before adding in the cream, and stir between each incremental add of cream.
Recipe FAQs
In the refrigerator for up to 3 days. As it sits, the sauce gets absorbed into the noodles. When you reheat, add 2 tablespoons – ¼ cup half/half or whole milk to ensure your pasta isn’t dry!
It definitely should not create scrambled eggs—if it does, the eggs were likely added to the pasta when it was too hot or not stirred quickly enough.
The key is to mix the egg mixture with the pasta off the heat so the residual warmth gently cooks the eggs into a creamy sauce instead of scrambling them.
If you add the tortellini straight from the package into a warm pan without stirring, they can easily stick together as they cook. To prevent this, try adding them more gradually instead of all at once, and make sure to stir them a few times during cooking to keep them separated.
Serving suggestions
For the ultimate comfort food meal, make some homemade pesto focaccia to serve with this deliciousness. It’d also go well with a fresh salad like this Arugula Lemon Salad or this Spinach Quinoa Salad.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Dill Lemon Tortellini
Equipment
- deep skillet
- knife & cutting board
- measuring cups / spoons
- Zester
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp Minced garlic
- 1 ½ cups Broth, use bone broth for more protein
- 1 Lemon, juiced & zested
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 9 oz package three cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cup half and half
- red pepper flakes
Lemon Parm Mixture
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 bunch fresh dill, finely minced
- 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
Instructions
- Heat a deep, large skillet to medium heat. Once warm, add butter. Let it melt and then add minced garlic with salt and pepper. Stir to avoid burning.
- When fragrant, pour in the broth and tortellini noodles with the butter mixture. There should be just enough broth to cover the noodles. Cover and let the tortellini cook for 6-8 minutes or until broth is almost absorbed and noodles are cooked. Stir the noodles once or twice while cooking.
- In a separate mixing bowl, make the lemon dill mixture. Use a fork to separate the egg yolk. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and fresh dill weed. Stir together until the egg is fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Once the tortellini noodles are done cooking, remove the skillet from heat. Fold the dill and egg mixture into the noodles and stir continuously. This will ensure the egg doesn’t fry but is spread throughout. While stirring, gradually pour half and half into the pasta in 2 tablespoon increments. The amount of broth left will vary and we want the pasta to be a light, creamy sauce.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest, pinch of red pepper flakes, serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Lemon Tortellini calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
to quote my husband: woah, this is GOOD, court!!
I’m obsessed with all things lemon and dill. this recipe rocks!!
Oh go for this one — it’s fresh and fantastic!
Creamy, zesty, and DILL-lightful!
Tortellini is my favorite pasta and the dill and egg put it one notch up!
golly, this was GREAT! the perfect amount of lemon and dill.
Lemon and dill I mean cmon! Name a better combo.
Light and Delicious!
So great to hear. Thank you, Anne!
Made this dish last night. Easy to make the texture was incredible. Definitely be making it again!
love to hear it! Thanks, Jared!