Sausage Tortellini Bake combines Italian sausage and cheese tortellini in a creamy sauce for a family-favorite, restaurant-quality meal.
author’s note
Your Dinner Rotation Needs This Sausage Tortellini Bake!
As a busy mom, I’m always looking for more dinners that are easy to pull off but still have everyone excited to eat. And if I can make the whole thing in one pot? Even better!
That’s exactly what I wanted with this sausage tortellini bake. I use refrigerated tortellini to cut down on prep, then add Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy Parmesan sauce that makes it taste like a whole lot more work than it is.
The best part? You don’t even have to boil the pasta first! It cooks right in the sauce, which means one less pot to wash and even more flavor in every bite. Add some bread for that extra sauce and dinner is handled!
Sausage Tortellini Bake Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Italian sausage | Use mild or hot, depending on your preference. If using links, remove the casings before browning and crumbling. |
| Refrigerated cheese tortellini | I use Rana. Choose a package with a 4–5 minute boiling time. Check the tortellini package size before adding it. This recipe uses 9–11 ounces, so you may only need part of a larger family-size package. |
| Sun-dried tomatoes | Oil-packed, julienne-cut tomatoes save chopping time. Save a tablespoon of the oil for cooking the sausage! |
| Mushrooms | I use baby bella! Slice them thinly so they cook quickly. |
| Heavy cream | Gives the sauce its rich, creamy texture. Stick with heavy cream for the consistency this recipe is designed to have. |
| Parmesan | Grate a block using the small holes of a grater so it melts easily into the sauce. |
| Baby spinach | Coarsely chop before adding so it mixes evenly throughout the pasta. |
How To Make Sausage Tortellini Bake
- Preheat: Oven to 425°F.
- Brown sausage: In a skillet with oil, brown sausage, and set aside.
- Sauté veggies: In the same skillet, sauté onion, add mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic.
- Make sauce: Add broth, cream, seasoning, and mustard; simmer until thick.
- Combine: Stir in Parmesan, sausage, veggies, tortellini, and spinach.
- Bake: Eight minutes in the oven, stir, add Parmesan, and bake three more minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Top with herbs and extra Parmesan.
chelsea’s recipe tips
Sausage Tortellini Bake Tips
- Sauté thoroughly: Ensure onions are tender to avoid crunchy bites in the final dish.
- Season lightly: Due to the saltiness of broth, Parmesan, and sausage, only add salt if needed.
- Oven-safe skillet: So we can directly transfer from stovetop to oven, and minimize cleanup. Alternatively, use a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Fresh Parmesan: Grate from a block using small holes on a cheese grater; avoid jarred or canned Parmesan (which isn’t even real cheese!)
What To Serve With Sausage Tortellini Bake
- Crusty bread, dinner rolls, or Focaccia (to sop up any leftover cream sauce!)
- A quick garden salad like this Italian salad, Caesar Salad, or Olive Garden salad.
- Roasted veggies — this Roasted Broccoli cooks up very quickly and at the same oven temperature.
- Bruschetta: Fresh tomato bruschetta is a great appetizer or side.
- Tropical Fruit Salad: Light, sweet, and vibrant side dish.
Storage
Leftovers?
Enjoy Baked Tortellini fresh from the oven for the best flavor. (Over time, the tortellini absorbs the sauce, resulting in a less saucy dish.)
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When reheating, add a splash of broth to restore the sauce’s consistency.
More Tortellini Recipes:
Soups And Stews
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Dinner
Pesto Chicken Tortellini
Salads
Greek Tortellini Salad
Soups And Stews
Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Sausage Tortellini Bake
Sausage Tortellini Bake brings together Italian sausage and cheese tortellini in a creamy, crowd-pleasing sauce—a restaurant-quality meal!
Video
Equipment
- Oven-safe pan 3.5-quart
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes plus 1 tablespoon oil, see note 1
- 10 ounces Italian sausage see note 2
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced, 1 cup
- 8 ounces mushrooms I use baby bella
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-1/3 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard optional
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese see note 3
- 9 to 11 ounces refrigerated Rana’s tortellini 3 cups, see note 4
- 2 gently packed cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- Serving suggestions see note 5
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle and preheat to 425°F.
- In a large, 3.5-quart oven-safe Dutch oven or pot, over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes. Add sausage, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown and crumble until cooked through, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon grease from the pot.
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; sauté for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 2–3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Dump everything on a separate plate.
- Return pot to burner (still medium-high heat). Add broth, cream, Italian seasoning, and mustard (if using). Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
- Gradually (1/4 cup at a time) add Parmesan to sauce, stirring until melted. Return drained sausage and veggies (along with accumulated liquid) to pot. Add tortellini and spinach. Gently stir everything and press tortellini to be submerged below liquid (as much as possible). Smooth into an even layer.
- Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove, stir everything well, and again press into an even layer. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired, and bake for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from oven, season with additional salt and pepper as needed, and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Best enjoyed right out of the oven (as it sits, the tortellini will continue to absorb the surrounding sauce.)
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Grab oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I like to get julienne cut (no chopping needed for you!) and packed in herbs (more flavor for no extra effort).
Note 2: If using sausage links, ensure the casings are removed prior to cooking. Ten ounces is typically about 2.5–3 links.
Note 3: Grab a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it using the small holes of a cheese grater.
Note 4: The recipe’s timing and liquid quantities are counting on the use of fresh, refrigerated tortellini that cooks in boiling water within 4–5 minutes, as indicated on the package.
Note 5: For serving: finely chopped Italian parsley or basil, salt and pepper, additional Parmesan cheese, or some hearty bread to sop up extra sauce—yum!
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth to restore the sauce’s consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 749kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.1g | Protein: 29.4g | Fat: 53.1g | Cholesterol: 156.9mg | Sodium: 1332.8mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 5.7g | Vitamin A: 1746IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 397mg | Iron: 12mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight with a couple changes (we don’t like sun-dried tomatoes), and it was delicious!!! Used half a can of basil, garlic and oregano diced tomatoes instead of sun-dried tomatoes and decreased broth by half (to account for the extra liquid in the diced tomatoes). We might decrease the heavy cream a bit next time because it was slightly soupy with our changes. Still, amazingly good!!! Our 1.5 year old was saying “mmmm” with every bite! You know it’s good when he does that, and he does that to many of your recipes we make! 😂 Thank you for your delicious recipes!!
The changes you made sound delicious, and I love that you adjusted the broth to make it work! But the best part is your little one saying “mmmm” with every bite! That seriously made my day! So glad so many of my recipes have been a hit at your house! Thank you SO much for sharing!
This looks delicious! Do you know how this meal could be prepped ahead and baked later? I’m thinking about preparing it for someone else.
Very Delicious!
So thrilled you enjoyed this Sausage Tortellini Bake!