One Pot Tortellini & Sausage

Name: One Pot Tortellini & Sausage
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons oil; 1 cup sweet onion (about 1/2 onion)); 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed); 3 cloves garlic; 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish); 24 ounces cheese filled tortellini

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This One Pot Tortellini & Sausage is the easiest, most comforting dinner you’ll eat all week! Everything is made in one pot in under 30 minutes!

One Pot Sausage & Tortellini with a wooden spoon and grated parmesan

We are obsessed with this One Pot Tortellini & Sausage! It’s easy, flavorful, quick, filling, and the family loves it! For more comforting pasta dishes, try my Pasta con Broccoli, Louisiana Chicken Pasta, and Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta.

Scooping up creamy tortellini and sausage with a wooden spatula

Creamy Sausage & Tortellini

This meal is so yummy you are going to always keep your pantry/fridge stocked with the ingredients. It’s seriously such a great meal for when you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen or you want to impress guests with very little effort.

One Pot Sausage & Tortellini Ingredients:

Oil– Any kind will work. It’s just needed to help cook the onions.
Onion– I prefer sweet vidalia but yellow works too.
Sweet Italian Sausage– I often can only find this sold in links so I just cut the link in half and squeeze out the meat.
Garlic– Fresh is best but minced works too or use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove called for.
Pasta Sauce– Use your favorite marinara sauce. I love RAO’S! It’s expensive but cheapest if you buy in a 2 pack at Costco.
Heavy Whipping Cream– Creates a thickened delicious creamy sauce.
Chicken Broth– Needed to increase the liquid in the sauce since we are cooking the pasta in with the sauce.
Salt– Add salt to taste.
Parmesan Cheese– Helps thicken the sauce and gives it more flavor. I always use Parmigiano Reggiano.

Ingredients set out on a marble surface and browning ground sausage.

HOW TO MAKE ONE POT TORTELLINI PASTA:

Time needed: 25 minutes

This one-pot pasta dish is so easy and amazingly delicious. This is sure to become a new regular on your menu rotation.

Cook the Onions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Cook the Sausage
Push the onions to the sides, turn heat to medium-high, and brown and crumble the sausage. (Let the sausage sear undisturbed for the first 3 minutes, flip with a spatula, cook another 2 minutes and then start to crumble with a wooden spoon or meat chopper.) Add garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Drain off fat.
Cook the Pasta and Sauce
Stir in the pasta sauce, cream, broth, and salt until combined. Stir in the tortellini, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove lid, stir in cheese, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened (about 1-2 minutes).

Mixing sausage, cream, spaghetti sauce, and tortellini together in a skillet

FAQS

What substitutions can I make?

Meat– You can switch out the sausage for ground beef, cut up some chicken, or omit to make it vegetarian.
Tortellini– You could use meat filled or use ravioli instead.
Sauce– Use a homemade pasta sauce or plain canned tomato sauce + 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
Cream– If you want to cut calories you can use half and half cream but the sauce will be thinner.
Broth– Use water and bouillon (this is what I do) or just plain water (but it won’t have as much flavor and will likely need more salt).

Can I use a different variety of sausage?

Yes! If you don’t have sweet Italian sausage on hand, go for another. I just really like the flavor of this one. If you want something with more heat, select a hot sausage or just add red pepper flakes.

What is the best tortellini?

We really like the Kirkland Five Cheese Tortellini that comes in a two pack at Costco. Rana brand is also really good. It is sold in a package that is a little smaller and that’s totally fine, you’ll just have more sauce since there aren’t as many noodles soaking it up.

What is the best kind of Parmesan cheese?

Parmigiano-Reggiano! It is aged for at least 18 months, has the best flavor, and is made in Italy. You can find this in wedge form by the specialty cheeses (by the deli) at your local grocery store. Costco also usually carries it too. Read more about it here.

One large skillet of tortellini and ground sausage

TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS PASTA:

Non-Stick Skillet with Lid – I have a different pan but this one is highly rated and all kitchens need a good nonstick skillet with a lid! The one photographed is Master Class brand found at TJ Maxx.
Meat Chopper– This thing is life changing for browning ground meats! So much easier than using a wooden spoon. Plus, it’s plastic so it won’t ruin your non-stick pans!
Better Than Bouillon Base– Rather than keep cans or boxes of chicken stock on hand, I just keep this little jar in the fridge and mix it with water as needed. It last forever so it’s actually more cost effect, saves space (I have the tiniest pantry!), and it tastes amazing!