Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Skillet

Well school is back in session for my kiddos and I’m back on the quick & easy weeknight meals train. This one pot cheese tortellini and sausage skillet was a huge hit with my family and now they have requested it two weeks in a row! It’s full of cheese tortellini pasta, Italian sausage, lots of herbs and spices, and a super flavorful sauce. A full meal all in one pan. Dinner doesn’t get any better than this!

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this hearty tortellini and sausage recipe:

Italian Sausage: I chose mild Italian sausage for this recipe as it’s already pre-seasoned with lots of herbs and spices. You can also use ground beef or ground turkey, however you may need to add a little more seasoning if you do choose ground beef or turkey.
Onion and Garlic: Diced onion and garlic adds lots of aromatics and flavor to this dish.
Cheese Tortellini: I like using refrigerated tortellini because you can quickly cook it in the sauce, but you can also use frozen tortellini if you prefer. You may need to boil the frozen tortellini first according to the package instructions.
Marinara Sauce: Marinara helps create the sauce for this recipe. It includes crushed tomatoes and lots of extra herbs and spices.
Chicken Broth: The cheese tortellini cooks in the chicken broth and marinara sauce, making this a one pot meal!
Spinach: A couple handfuls of spinach adds color and extra vegetables to the dish.
Seasoning: A simple mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano add a little more flavor to the jarred marinara sauce and the rest of the dish.
Mozzarella Cheese: And I topped everything off with some gooey mozzarella cheese because…why not?!

You can often find refrigerated cheese tortellini in two sizes, a small 9-10oz. bag and a larger 20oz. family size bag. Most of the time the family size is the better deal and will save you some money. So grab the bigger bag! You’ll only need 10oz. of tortellini for this recipe and you can freeze the rest and save for later.🙌
If you happen to have a can of tomatoes in your pantry, you can switch out the marinara sauce for one 14oz. can of diced tomatoes.
And if you really want to save even more money, use just ½ lb. of Italian sausage for this recipe and freeze the rest for later. This dish will still be very filling and you can cook the rest of the sausage with the rest of the cheese tortellini that you saved. You may also still have half a jar of marinara, some spinach, and more mozzarella cheese leftover. Now look at what we just did. We’ve easily just created another meal! #winning

Serving Suggestions & Variations

This dish is perfect to serve with a side of crusty garlic bread and a simple side salad or Caesar salad.
Wanna make it creamy? Add about ½ cup of heavy cream at the same time as the chicken broth for a creamy tortellini skillet meal.
And if you want to add some spice, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes at the end for a little kick!

Storing Leftovers

Got leftovers? You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The sauce mixture will thicken a little bit with time, but you can easily reheat it in the microwave until warmed through for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Overhead view of cheese tortellini and sausage on a plate with garlic bread, fork, and napkin on the side.

Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Skillet

This one-pot Cheese Tortellini and Sausage Skillet is hearty and packed with flavor. A quick & easy one skillet meal? Count me in!

Author: Marsha – Budget Bytes

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1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.05)
1 lb. Italian sausage ($4.99)
1 small yellow onion, diced ($0.42)
2 cloves of garlic, minced ($0.16)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce ($1.50)
1 cup chicken broth ($0.17)
10 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini ($3.75)
2 cups spinach ($1.15)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese ($0.62)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Brown the Italian sausage.
Once the sausage has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Next add the salt, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, marinara sauce, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Bring the skillet up to a simmer and add the cheese tortellini. Stir the tortellini into the sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes until the tortellini is tender.
Add the spinach to the skillet and stir to combine, allowing the heat to wilt the spinach.
Now top the skillet with the shredded mozzarella cheese and allow the heat to melt the cheese.
Serve hot with fresh garlic bread and some freshly cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes on top. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Serving: 1servingCalories: 730kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 32gFat: 49gSodium: 2182mgFiber: 5g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

Side close up view of cheese tortellini and sausage skillet with a fork lifting some out.

How to Make Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Skillet – Step by Step Photos

Italian sausage being cooked in a skillet.

Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Brown 1 lb. Italian sausage.

Onion and garlic added to sausage in a skillet.

Once the sausage has browned, add 1 diced yellow onion and 2 minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.

Marinara sauce, spices, and chicken broth added to a skillet.

Next add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, and 1 cup chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Cheese tortellini pasta added to sausage mixture in a skillet.

Bring the skillet up to a simmer and add 10 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini. Stir the tortellini into the sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes until the tortellini is tender.