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This restaurant-quality Braised Beef and Tortelloni is loaded with tender chunks of beef in the most amazing Marsala wine sauce, and spooned over Asiago cheese tortelloni.
If you are like me – and you always order the Braised Beef and Tortelloni every time you eat out at Olive Garden – you are going to love today’s recipe!
I adore just about any meal made with tortellini or its larger cousin, tortelloni. (It’s my favorite pasta!) And this particular dish – made with beef short ribs that are braised until fork-tender and hearty chunks of Portobello mushrooms, all served with a super flavorful creamy Marsala wine sauce – makes my pasta-loving heart very happy!
After noticing that I always order the Braised Beef and Tortelloni every single time we go out to eat at Olive Garden, Jack suggested we try making a copycat recipe at home. And dare I say…our Braised Beef and Tortelloni is EVEN BETTER than the version at the restaurant? Yep – Jack totally nailed it!
I’m going to say right up front that this Braised Beef and Tortelloni isn’t a quick recipe, and it does take a little bit of time and effort to prepare. But if you follow our recipe below – you’ll be rewarded with a delicious pasta meal with deep, rich flavor that will have you tempted to lick then plate clean!
Using a quality Marsala wine in this recipe is important. Whatever you do, please don’t make this dish with the Marsala cooking wine you find on supermarket shelves – it just isn’t going to give you the flavor you want. Instead, buy a real Marsala drinking wine from a liquor store.
Additionally, this Braised Beef and Tortelloni recipe makes a generous amount – so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd, or for enjoying as leftovers the next day.
Enjoy!
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Braised Beef and Tortelloni
This restaurant-quality Braised Beef and Tortelloni is loaded with tender chunks of beef in the most amazing Marsala wine sauce, and spooned over Asiago cheese tortelloni.
Ingredients
3–4 pounds short ribs, bone left on **see note below
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onion diced, such as Vidalia
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 cup marsala wine (do not use the Marsala cooking wine from the supermarket, get real Marsala drinking wine)
1 1/2 cups beef stock (store bought is fine, or see here)
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 large portabella mushroom caps *see note
2 plum tomatoes, cut into eight pieces
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 20-ounce package Asiago-filled fresh tortelloni (or any fresh cheese-filled tortelloni available at your market)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Salt and pepper all sides of the short ribs.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed oven proof pot with an oven proof lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
Add the beef ribs and sear on all six sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the seared meat to a platter and pour off all but two tablespoons of the fat remaining in the pan but do not discard the remaining fat. More will be used later in this recipe.
Add the onions and sauté for three minutes. Add the basil and cook for one more minute then add the marsala wine.
Reduce by half then add the beef stock, water and the bay leaf and add the seared ribs back into the pan. The liquid will not cover the tops of the beef. Cover and place in the oven for two hours, untouched.
While the beef is braising, in a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of the reserved beef fat and once hot, add the mushrooms. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until tender.
Add the tomatoes, cook for one minute then add the balsamic vinegar. Cook for one more minute and remove from heat. Set aside.
After two hours, remove the pot from the oven and pick the beef pieces out to your cutting board with tongs. The bones should slip right off and be discarded. Once they are cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife and remove fat and gristle from the beef. Cut the remaining beef pieces against the grain into slices.
Place a large pot of water on to cook the tortelloni while you finish the dish. The tortelloni takes about 6-7 minutes to cook, assuming you are using fresh.
In a small sauté pan, melt butter and once melted, add flour. Cook for three minutes over medium heat and then remove from heat.
Heat the liquid left in the pot of beef over medium high and once it starts to boil, add the butter and flour mixture and whisk to combine. Once thickened, add heavy cream and whisk again. Add cooked sliced beef and cooked mushrooms and tomatoes from earlier. Stir to combine.
Drain the cooked tortelloni and add back into the pot it was cooked in and add a little of the finished sauce to coat.
Pour the tortelloni into a serving platter and pour the finished braised beef over the top.
Garnish with some chopped fresh basil.
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Notes
*To prepare the portabella mushroom caps, remove stem if present and discard. Use a soup spoon and scoop out the dark ribs and also discard. Cut up the remaining cleaned mushroom cap into ½ inch sized pieces. After cleaning and cutting, you should have about 6 ounces or approximately two cups.
**3½ pounds of bone-in short ribs will yield one pound of usable meat. The rest are bones and scrap after cooked.
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Shea N Hogue says
Very good and almost identical to Olive Garden
Martha says
Thank you Shea!
Christie says
This is so delicious!!! I found this recipe several months ago, as I was disappointed when I was looking to order from Olive Garden and found that they discontinued it. This truly is amazing. I make it all the time. I use sliced baby Bellas instead of the full sized, but it comes out beautifully every time.
I also discovered that if I use the first part of your recipe as a base for vegetable beef soup, I now make the best soup I’ve ever eaten, and I never even liked vegetable beef soup before (but bf loves it, so I learned to make it).. Thank you for creating this!
Martha says
Wow Christie – thank you so much! And thanks for the suggestion about using the base for soup too! So glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Jeff says
Not the easiest thing to cook, but definitely delicious
Martha says
Thanks Jeff!
Christie says
This was my favorite recipe at Olive Garden before, and while I worked there..I was so disappointed when I found they discontinued it but then I found your recipe. O. M. G!! It’s perfect! Only thing, the wine reduction I’ve had to wing because you don’t specify an approximate time, but it always turns out amazing. Also, I’ve found that using the braised beef base ( up to the oven) then turning into a vegetable beef soup ( my bf’s favorite) is amazing as well. The key is the balsamic at the end with both. Thank you!!
Martha says
Thank you Christie! (Next time we make the recipe, we will note the timing and add it to the recipe – appreciate the suggestion!)
Christie says
I completely forgot that I already rated and commented on this, apparently I said almost the exact same thing lol. I’m just planning dinner and 8:30 in the morning and craving this recipe again haha
Martha says
lol – we’re always happy to hear from our readers!
Joann says
Absolutely delicious! Olive Garden’s braised beef with tortellini was my son-in-law’s favorite and was really disappointed they removed it from their menu. He said although not exactly like Olive Garden’s, but was really delicious. He proved it by having 2 big platefuls and I’m confident the little bit that was leftover leftover will be gone by the end of the evening! Thanks for the recipe!
Martha says
So glad he enjoyed the recipe Joann!
Mary Beth says
So delicious!!!
Martha says
Thanks!
Denice says
I don’t usually comment on recipes but I have to say this was superb! Just like OG. With plenty of leftovers after feeding my family of five. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Martha says
You’re very welcome Denice! So glad the recipe was a hit!
Shirley Hughes says
One of my all time favorite recipes. I make this for family gatherings, special occasions and close friends. So, I’ve made it several times. The flavors are perfect!
Martha says
Thanks Shirley!
Jace says
As a former Olive Garden employee, I can attest this tastes exactly like what you used to get at the restaurant.
Martha says
Wow Jace – thank you so much!
Samantha says
Fantastic dish!! Loved it. Just like I remember from Olive Garden… but better because I made it myself!
Martha says
Thanks Samantha!