Ham and Cheese Tortellini

4.86 from 35 votes

Posted: 01/20/20 Updated: 09/04/21

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Looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love? This Ham and Cheese Tortellini is the answer! It’s super simple to make and it’s always a hit. Loaded with tortellini noodles, ham, cheese, peas. Plus, if you have leftover ham it’s perfect for using that up. Make this easy dinner tonight!

A creamy, cheesy sauce + tortellini + ham and peas = your new favorite easy dinner recipe! I’m not kidding with this one, guys – this Ham and Cheese Tortellini is one of my favorite go-to dinners I’ve been making for a long time. It’s family-friendly, so comforting, and a perfect dinner for busy weeknights.

My husband flipped when I made this the first time. Let me just say when he saw all the cheese piled on the cutting board his eyes lit up as he said, “Wow! If it has that much cheese it’s gotta be good!”. He loves anything with cheese, that’s for sure, like my Macaroni and Cheese and Cheesy Italian Pasta and Meatballs, too!

I love the combination of ham and cheese and you get a double-dose of the cheese with this one! The sauce is a combination of cream cheese and Romano cheese and the tortellini is stuffed with cheese so every bite is rich and flavorful. Add in the savory ham (perfect for using up leftover ham!) and sweet green peas and you get a really comforting dinner that everyone will love!

Contents show

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Tortellini

We’re going super simple with the pasta and using a package of refrigerated cheese tortellini.
The sauce is made with butter, flour, fat-free milk and half and half. You’ll also need some cream cheese for the sauce – it makes the sauce so creamy and rich! I like to cube it first so it’s easier to incorporate into the sauce when it’s time to add it.
The sauce is seasoned with dried basil, garlic powder and black pepper.
For the ham, you can buy packages of diced ham or this is a great recipe to use up leftover ham, too!
Don’t forget the green peas!
For an extra cheesy touch, I like to add some grated Romano cheese, too.

It’s a good idea to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start. This recipe goes pretty quick!

How to Make the Sauce

I boil the tortellini in a separate pot while I make the sauce in a large non-stick pan:

First, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it combined. This will help thicken your sauce! (Picture 1)
Add the milk and half and stir until it combines with the butter and flour mixture and it creates a smooth sauce. (Picture 2)
Bring the sauce to a boil for about one minute, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. (Picture 3)

That’s all there is for the creamy sauce!

Bring It All Together

Once the sauce is made there are just a couple (easy!) steps to go!

Add the seasonings, cubed cream cheese, peas and diced ham to the sauce. Stir it all together until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is nice and creamy. (Picture 4 & 5)
Add the cooked tortellini and grated Romano cheese, stir it all until the pasta is evenly coated and serve! (Picture 6)

Ever since I made this Ham and Cheese Tortellini the first time my husband requests it all the time! He can’t get enough of the cheesy goodness and I love it because it’s so easy to make! Here are some favorite side dishes I like to make to go with it so you can make it a complete meal:

Not gonna lie. Sometimes we love ALL the carbs and I’ll make a batch of copy-cat Olive Garden breadsticks. They are perfect for soaking up all the creamy sauce!
If I want to keep things light, I’ll add some roasted vegetables as a healthy vegetable side dish.

More Pasta Dinner Recipes

We love our pasta around here – I think my family could eat it every night! Be sure to check out some of our other favorite recipes, too.

Serve my Crockpot Swedish Meatballs over egg noodles for a hearty, comforting dinner!
Who doesn’t love Spaghetti and Meatballs? My version is so easy to make and so delicious.
My One Pot Taco Pasta is always a hit and a great way to switch up Taco Tuesday!
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups are one of my favorite freezer-friendly pasta dishes. It’s a great make-ahead dinner!

Adapted from: Taste of Home

Meet Julie Evink

I'm here to help you win in the kitchen again! Life is Busy, Life is Crazy, but that doesn't mean you can't make your family dinner! Julie's goal is to provide you with easy, family, friendly recipes that use pantry staples. Dinnertime will be stress free again!