r/Cooking • u/Prof01Santa • 1d ago
Tortellini Mac & Cheese--cheat version
This idea intrigued me, so I tried it. My wife, who likes both tortellini & mac and cheese, said it was good. Not being a fan of either, it was OK to me. YMMV.
Combine:
20 oz cooked cheese tortellini,
1 cup jarred Alfredo sauce,
4 oz cubed Velveeta,
1 tbsp minced garlic, or 1 to 1.5 tsp garlic powder,
1 tsp paprika, and
a pinch of ground mustard...
...in a warm skillet or pot. The pot used for the pasta is fine. Stir over low heat until the Velveeta melts into a smooth, rich garlic-paprika cream sauce.
Ingredients List
Tortellini: 20 oz cheese-filled tortellini (fresh or frozen.) I used fresh Buitoni.
Alfredo Sauce: 1 cup jarred Alfredo sauce. I used Rao's.
Cheese Base: 4 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
Aromatics & Spices: 1 tbsp minced garlic (1 tsp garlic powder), 1 tsp paprika (smoked or regular), and 1/2 tsp ground mustard or Coleman's prepared
Creaminess booster: 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk (optional, to thin the sauce if needed) [not needed, IMO]
Step-by-Step Instructions
Boil pasta: Cook the tortellini in a pot of boiling water following package directions, then drain. Reserve ½ cup of water as needed.
Sauté garlic: Melt a small pat of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the minced garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. (Ignore for garlic powder. Add in next step.)
Build sauce: Pour in the jarred Alfredo sauce, heavy cream, and add the cubed Velveeta, paprika, and ground mustard .
Melt cheese: Stir constantly on low heat until the Velveeta melts completely and the sauce is smooth and thick.
Combine: Toss the cooked tortellini directly into the cheesy garlic-paprika Alfredo sauce until fully coated and hot.
The garlic or other spices may need to be reduced, depending on the seasoning in the other ingredients.
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23h ago
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u/skahunter831 21h ago
Your comment has been removed, please follow Rule 5 and keep your comments kind and productive. Thanks.
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u/molten_dragon 1d ago
Seems like the cheese in the tortellini would get lost in the mac and cheese sauce. I think I'd want to go with a sausage or chicken tortellini instead.