Description
A rich, comforting, and incredibly easy one-pan pasta dish featuring Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, and a creamy garlic spinach sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes, this weeknight dinner is perfect for busy families.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, bulk style)
- 1 package (24oz) cheese tortellini (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil (as needed)
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Mince garlic, measure spices, and grate Parmesan cheese.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and crumbled (about 8 minutes). Drain excess grease if necessary, leaving a little for flavor. Push sausage to the side.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- While sausage cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions (usually 5-6 minutes for frozen). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Pour chicken broth into the skillet with the sausage and garlic to deglaze. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Stir in heavy cream and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Add fresh spinach and stir until wilted (about 1 minute). If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Add the drained tortellini to the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan, fresh black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Do not overcook the tortellini; it will finish cooking in the hot sauce. Save the starchy pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. Keep heat low when adding cheese to prevent it from becoming grainy. For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream. This dish does not freeze well due to the dairy sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 22
Keywords: cream sauce, tortellini, sausage, weeknight dinner, one pan, easy pasta, spinach, comfort food, 20 minute meals