30-Minute Tuscan Tortellini with Sausage and Spinach

One skillet and less than 30 minutes will get this delicious Tuscan Tortellini on the table. Everything, including the tortellini, gets cooked up in one big pan. Busy weeknights, we’ve got you covered..

(Courtesy of Amy Dong)

Delicious Tortellini Recipe In One Pan

The other day I was driving along and it started to rain. The Littles and I noticed runners, bikers, and walkers who simply kept on keeping on. No umbrellas or raincoats.

As a runner, I’ve been caught in everything from showers to downpours and never by choice. Most of the time, I opt to book it as fast as I can. There exists no better workout than trying to beat a storm.

Back in California, at the slightest sign of a sprinkle, most of us drew out our umbrellas, ready to do battle. When we moved to the Midwest, I suddenly felt like the only person who keeps an umbrella. Since then, I’ve learned to let myself get rained on sometimes. You know, when in Rome…

Speaking of which, some things are simply meant to be drenched. By things, I mean food. Specifically, tortellini loves a good sauce. Little bites of chewy, cheesy, tender tortellini simply live to be drenched.

This Tuscan Tortellini recipe is cooked in a savory, flavorful, robust sauce. Bonus: this family favorite dish takes only 30 minutes or less and one pan.

(Courtesy of Amy Dong)

Simple Pantry Ingredients

This Tuscan Tortellini takes everyday ingredients and melds it together into something special. In every bite, you’ll get tender, cheesy tortellini simmered in a savory sauce peppered with incredible flavors. Robust Italian flavors shine through with tomatoes, garlic, onions, garlic, sausage, spinach, and Parmesan cheese.

Routinely stock your pantry with broth – chicken, beef, vegetable are all great to have on hand. We use broth all the time for recipes like Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings and One-Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup.

A few cans of diced tomatoes and a jar or two of your favorite tomato based pasta sauce always come in handy, not just for this tortellini dish, but also for dishes like Perfect Pasta Primavera.

You’ll find that keeping your freezer stocked with some ground sausage is super convenient, and an airtight roll of ground sausage can last a long time in the freezer. We love having a bag of frozen cheese tortellini, as well as frozen cheese ravioli on hand in our freezer; they’re great for quick and easy family meals.

Don’t forget that freshly shredded parmesan cheese also freezes superbly, giving you ready access to it anytime you need it, including Homemade Spaghetti nights.

All your favorite Italian flavors are tossed into one big pan. It’s comfort food with big, bold flavors – a dinner that’s destined for regular rotation.

(Courtesy of Amy Dong)

(Courtesy of Amy Dong)

Ingredient Options And Substitutions

Feel free to play around with fun alternatives for your tortellini dinner:

• Try chopped kale leaves instead of spinach
• Beef broth or vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth; whichever you choose, go with a full strength broth.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes with juices are a great alternative to Italian diced tomatoes
• Try your favorite cooked sausage links, diced or sliced, in lieu of the ground sausage
• Go meatless and add more vegetables if you’d like – ideas include sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced carrots, and zucchini.
• If you live in an area where half & half liquid cream isn’t readily available, you can use a mixture of milk and heavy cream instead.

(Courtesy of Amy Dong)

30-Minute Skillet Tuscan Tortellini

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 8 mins Total Time: 18 mins Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 LB bulk Italian sausage, no casings
• 2 cups tomato-based pasta sauce
• 1 14oz can Italian diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup of half & half, or heavy cream
• 19 oz frozen cheese tortellini
• 3 cups baby spinach, torn to bite size
• freshly ground black pepper
• freshly shaved/shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, stir constantly 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir another 2 minutes or until aromatic and tender.
2. Push onion mixture to the edges of pan and add sausage into the center of pan. Cook and break up sausage; once it’s half-cooked, stir together with the onion mixture and continue cooking until browned.
3. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, broth, and half/half. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add frozen tortellini, stirring to submerge tortellini in the sauce. Cover and simmer until tender, about 7-8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Gently stir in spinach and just until wilted. Add 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste. Serve immediately with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Notes See original article for ingredient substitutions and variations.

If you'd like to use fresh cheese tortellini, lessen cook time so tortellini does not overcook.

If you prefer sauce more creamy, add a bit more half & half. Add more broth if sauce becomes too thick (may be the case with leftovers or if dish has been sitting around too long.)

Nutrition Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.8g | Protein: 18.2g | Fat: 18.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 55.3mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 8.5g

This recipe was originally published on chewoutloud.com.

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