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 equally delicious veggies 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 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 then 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 rendered 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, add the tortellini, top with cheese, and place the sausages on top. Bake at 350° F for about 25 minutes or until the 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. You can also 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 used 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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One-Pot tortellini with Sausage and Zucchini
Description
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.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add oil to a large skillet preheated to medium-high heat. Add sausage. Brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (the sausages will finish cooking in the oven).
- Transfer to a plate. Keep the fat rendering in the skillet.
- Add onion and zucchini. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add fresh garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning. Sauté until zucchini turns translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in marinara. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle boil. Fold in tortellini. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Once the sauce comes to a gentle boil, sprinkle on cheese, and then return the sausage links.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or the internal temperature of the sausages is 165° F.
- Allow the dish to rest for 10 -15 minutes to set before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.
- Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Notes
- Use pre-shredded cheese for quick and easy prep, but it doesn’t melt as well as freshly grated cheese. Shred your own cheese if you want a creamier melt.
- Do not slice zucchini too thinly to avoid mushy zucchini. It must hold up to the baking time in the oven. Keep slices between 1/2 and 2/3 inch thick.
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Love the color in this! And of course, everyone can always use another zucchini recipe!
My thoughts exactly! 🙂
Pasta and Italian sausage, that is the kind of meal my husband loves.
I’m glad this is husband approved at your house, Karen!
I’ve a massive appetite for pasta so tortellini plus sausage sounds like heaven to me! 🙂
Thank you!! I love sausage and pasta!