Tortellini & Italian Sausage in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

July 18, 2022

My sister Liz shared this fabulous recipe with me years ago and it’s become one of my very favorite pasta dishes. It uses only five ingredients and cooks up in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal on a busy weeknight. Cheesy filled pasta in a creamy sausage, tomato sauce and topped with grated Parmesan cheese checks off all the boxes when it comes to comfort food. It will satisfy everyone’s pasta craving, and fill everyone’s belly with Italian flavored goodness. You will love how incredibly easy it is to make and that it tastes like you spent hours at the stove when you didn’t. Start to finish, it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, with only 5 ingredients, making it the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.

This recipe is so very, very versatile. Don’t have tomato sauce? No problem, substitute with diced tomatoes, or puréed tomatoes instead. Don’t have half & half? No worries, use milk, cream or even heavy whipping cream in its place. No tortellini in the fridge? Just swap out with ravioli or any pasta you have hanging out in your pantry.

Start by cooking your pasta. Follow the directions on the package. Drain the pasta once it has been cooked al dente. I love using cheese filled tortellini for this dish. It has all those little nooks and crannies that hold onto the sauce, but any pasta will work for this dish.

Look at those lovely pillows of cheese filled goodness!

While the pasta cooks, start making the sauce.

Remove casings from the Italian sausages and brown the meat in a large skillet, breaking it up with a spatula into small crumbles. Drain off any excess oil in the pan.

It’s already starting to smell so good!!!

Once the sausage is cooked through, add the tomato sauce or diced tomatoes to the pan.

You can use tomato sauce, pureed tomatoes, or even diced tomatoes, use whatever you have in your pantry.

Add half & half to the pan. Stir to blend the sausage, tomato sauce and cream. Cook the sauce on a low simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken up a little bit.

Oh my, look at that creamy goodness!

Add the grated Parmesan cheese and cook until the cheese has completely melted into the sauce.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine the pasta with the sauce.

Top each serving with some freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Serve with a crisp green salad and fresh bread to round out the meal.

Have you always wanted to try your hand at baking bread? Don’t let it intimidate you. It’s much easier to bake bread than you think. If you are just starting, try this easy method for How To Bake a Beautiful, Artisanal Loaf of French Bread. It’s perfect for beginners and more experienced bread bakers alike! It’s my favorite, go-to, bread recipe!

You can bake loafs just like these! I promise!

Round out the meal with this delicious Rich & Creamy Caesar Salad With Crisp, Garlicky Toasted Croutons. Hands down, it’s the best Caesar salad you will ever eat!!!

Let me know if you give this recipe a try and how it turns out for you. I’m betting it becomes a family favorite and gets added to your regular rotation of meals. I love how quick and easy it is to make and that I can use what ever I have on hand in the pantry. I bet it will become a family favorite at your house too. Enjoy!

This recipe was originally posted January 2019, updated July 2022 with new photos, a printable recipe, and clearer, easier to follow, detailed instructions.

Tortellini & Italian Sausage In A Creamy Tomato Sauce

Barbara
It takes only five ingredients and less than 30 minutes to whip up this cheese stuffed pasta in a rich sausage and tomato sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 16 oz tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup half & half, heavy cream, or milk
  • 1 lb cheese filled tortellini, ravioli, or pasta of your choice
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
  • While pasta cooks prepare the sauce.
  • In a large skillet crumble and cook sausage until browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease.
  • Add tomato sauce and half & half. Stir to combine.
  • Bring sauce to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add grated Parmesan cheese, and stir until cheese melts into the sauce.
  • Add thee cooked pasta and stir to combine the pasta with the sauce.
  • To serve, garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and some grated Parmesan cheese.
Keyword Italian Sausage, pasta, tomato sauce

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