Creamy Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Sausage is a comforting and flavorful dish that is easy to make at home. The combination of tender tortellini, savory sausage, sweet butternut squash, and a rich, creamy sauce is pasta perfection. It basicall…
Creamy Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Sausage is a comforting and flavorful dish that is easy to make at home. The combination of tender tortellini, savory sausage, sweet butternut squash, and a rich, creamy sauce is pasta perfection. It basically feels like a warm hug on a plate. It’s the perfect meal for fall or…
Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
This Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake is here to save your weeknight dinners and make your whole family happy! Add this to your school night rotation and rest easy knowing you’ve served a delicious, nutrient-dense meal.
If you’ve ever had the popular “Marry Me Chicken,” but wished it was a complete meal, this Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake is what you’re looking for! It has very similar flavors, but with the addition of the tortellini, this becomes a complete skillet meal the whole family will love.
Don’t let the “dairy-free” label fool you – this meal is incredibly warm and creamy, perfect as a comforting dinner after a long day! Plus, with the veggies incorporated into the sauce, this is a delicious one-skillet meal. My kids love this recipe, and I bet yours will too!
Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cassava Flour
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Shallot
Baby Bella Mushrooms
Garlic
Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil
Dijon Mustard
Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
Baby Spinach
Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Sub heavy creamer if preferred!
Dairy-Free Spinach Tortellini
Basil
Parmesan (Optional)
Step-by-step:
Step one: prep the chicken
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
step two: season the chicken
Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Next, sprinkle with the cassava. Using your hands, rub the cassava into the chicken so that it is well coated in the flour.
step three: cook the chicken
Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (I use a braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked as it will finish in the oven.
step four: cook the veggies
Reduce the heat to medium and if the skillet seems dry, add 1 tablespoon more oil to the pan. Add the shallot, mushrooms, garlic and cook, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
step five: add the rest of the skillet ingredients
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dijon, and the broth and whisk to combine. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
step six: combine with the tortellini
Once simmering, add the tortellini and basil and gently toss until well combined and the basil has just wilted.
step seven: add the chicken back to the skillet
Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet. Top with parmesan, if using, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through and the tortellini is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
step eight: garnish and serve!
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving! I like to finish mine with a bit more fresh basil leaves, for garnish.
Recipe FAQs:
can this be made with dairy instead of dairy-free?
It sure can! Instead of dairy-free tortellini, you can use any tortellini you find in the refrigerated section, and you can sub heavy cream for the coconut milk!
Does it matter what coconut milk I use?
Yes – make sure to use a full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk makes this recipe too watery!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Leave a comment after you make it!
½cuproughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oildrained
2tspdijon mustard
¼cuplow-sodium chicken broth
5ouncesbaby spinach
½teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonpepper
1cupunsweetened coconut milk(sub heavy cream)
18ounceskite hill dairy-free spinach tortellini(sub any tortellini found in the refrigerator section)
1cuppacked basil leavesplus more for garnish
2tablespoonsfreshly grated parmesanoptional, omit for Dairy Free
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, and paprika. Next, sprinkle with the cassava and using your hands, rub the cassava into the chicken so that it is well coated in the flour.
Heat the oil in a large, oven safe skillet (I use a braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked as it will finish in the oven.
Reduce the heat to medium and if the skillet seems dry, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan. Add the shallot, mushrooms, garlic and cook, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dijon and the broth and whisk to combine. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Add the spinach, salt, pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted.
Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add the tortellini and basil and gently toss until well combined and the basil has just wilted.
Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet. Top with parmesan, if using, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through and the tortellini is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving! I like to finish mine with a bit more fresh basil leaves, for garnish.
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?!
Budget Saving Tips!
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
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.
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!
How to Make Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Skillet – Step by Step Photos
Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Brown 1 lb. Italian sausage.
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.
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.
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.
Add 2 cups spinach to the skillet and stir to combine, allowing the heat to wilt the spinach.
Now top the skillet with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Allow the heat from the skillet to melt the cheese.
Serve hot with fresh garlic bread and some freshly cracked black pepper on top. Now get ready to enjoy a super hearty and delicious dinner meal!
We make soup for dinner all of the time, especially during the cold winter months. A few favorites include: Minestrone Soup, White Bean Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This soup has it all̷…
We make soup for dinner all of the time, especially during the cold winter months. A few favorites include: Minestrone Soup, White Bean Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This soup has it all…sausage, tortellini pasta, vegetables, and cheese. It is the perfect one pot meal and always…
Creamy Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Sausage is a comforting and flavorful dish that is easy to make at home. The combination of tender tortellini, savory sausage, sweet butternut squash, and a rich, creamy sauce is pasta perfection. It basically feels like a warm hug on a plate. It’s the perfect meal for fall or… 
This Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake is here to save your weeknight dinners and make your whole family happy! Add…
We make soup for dinner all of the time, especially during the cold winter months. A few favorites include: Minestrone Soup, White Bean Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This soup has it all…sausage, tortellini pasta, vegetables, and cheese. It is the perfect one pot meal and always…