One-Pot Tortellini with Sausage and Zucchini

This One-Pot Tortellini with Sausage and Zucchini is a meal the entire family will love. Cheese tortellini and Italian sausage make it hearty while zucchini adds summer freshness. Cook the dish on the stovetop and finish it off in the oven for a stress-free weeknight dinner.

I love that zucchini is plentiful this time of year. It is such a versatile vegetable. There aren’t many veggies that are equally delicious in both savory and sweet applications, but zucchini is great either way. It’s delectable in these muffins and this crumb cake. And marinated zucchini jazzes up this turkey sandwich. It certainly adds a summery component and completes this tortellini pasta dish.

What else do I love? One-pot meals! I enjoy cooking, but after coming home from a busy workday, I want a meal that is as easy to prepare as possible. How about you? 

One-pot cooking does the trick. This pasta dish utilizes store-bought cheese tortellini and jarred marinara which makes getting a weeknight dinner on the table a breeze.

Let’s talk about the Italian sausage. It adds a wonderfully meaty, salty, and fennel-ie punch. It’s seared until golden brown and is returned to the skillet at the end to finish cooking in the oven. I use mild Italian sausage, but if you like spice, hot Italian sausage would be fantastic! The fat rendering from the sausages is used to sauté the onion and zucchini. 

Pork fat is a good thing!! Don’t you think?

What’s in this one-pot pasta dish?  

• Tortellini
• Sausage
• Zucchini
• Marinara sauce
• Onion
• Fresh Garlic 
• Shredded Cheese
• Onion and garlic powder
• Salt & pepper
• Italian seasoning
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil

Recipe highlights:

• You will need these:

• Brown sausage on all sides in a skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Remove from pan.
• Sauté onion and zucchini for 2 minutes. Add garlic, then herbs and spices.

• Add 2 jars of marinara. When the sauce boils, top with cheese, then place the sausages on top. Bake at 350° F for about 25 minutes or until sausages are cooked through.

• Garnish with basil.
• See the recipe card for detailed instructions.

Variations you can make:

• Instead of cheese tortellini, try spinach and cheese, prosciutto and cheese, or roasted tomato mozzarella. Or use the ravioli variety of your choosing.
• This dish would be great with other types of sausages: kielbasa, andouille, chorizo, or linguica. Replacing the Italian seasoning with an herb of choice is optional. If your sausage is precooked, it is not necessary to brown them. Tuck them 3/4 way into the sauce for more efficient heating.
• Add red pepper flakes for added heat.

Helpful Tips:

• Do not slice zucchini too thin. They will become too soft during the cooking process. Keep the slices between 1/2 to 2/3 inch thick.
• Freshly grated cheese melts more creamy than prepackaged cheese which contains additives to prevent clumping and molding. If you don’t have time to grate your own, use the latter. I took advantage of prepackaged cheese when making the batch you see here. Regardless, both varieties taste equally good.

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a message in the comment section.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• A 4-quart skillet or saute pan. This stainless steel saute pan comes with a lid and is oven-safe up to 600° F.
• Kitchen tongs—this is stainless steel and has a locking mechanism.

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