One Pot Sausage Tortellini with Spinach
This one pot sausage tortellini with spinach is ready in under 40 minutes, full of easy to use ingredients, and leaves you with minimal clean up. Coated in a simple cottage cheese pasta sauce, this one pot dinner is the perfect recipe to reach for on a busy weeknight that makes great leftovers and will be loved by all members of your family!
As a busy mom, sometimes I don’t always love to see 5 pm roll around because it means I need to pack my kids up from the outdoors and get dinner started. When the days come that feel like they don’t have enough hours to do everything on my list and also plan and make dinner, I lean into one pot dinners.
One pot recipes are great for getting nutritious and delicious dinners onto the table with minimal time needed and minimal clean up afterwards. Plus, my family tends to love these meals the most! Lately, this one pot sausage and tortellini with spinach has been our go to dinner for busy nights.
Healthy but convenient to use ingredients like canned tomatoes, fresh or frozen spinach, bagged tortellini, and fast cooking mild italian sausage all simmer together in a high protein cottage cheese sauce to give you a balanced dinner full of family friendly flavors. The clean up? Only your largest pot!
You will love having the ingredients for this healthy one pot recipe in your refrigerator for a quick throw together dinner this summer. Let’s get to this family friend dinner recipe!
Why you’ll love this sausage tortellini with spinach dinner:
You’ll love this easy dinner recipe because it is:
Full of flavor: This one pot tortellini is loaded with herbs and flavorful ingredients for a delicious bite every time.
A one pot dinner: You’ll simply brown your sausage with some onion and garlic then add all of your other ingredients into the same pot to simmer in a high protein pasta sauce. So easy to make and clean up making this the perfect dinner recipe for busy nights.
Coated in a cottage cheese pasta sauce: This pasta has no heavy cream and is instead coated in a high protein cottage cheese pasta sauce that combines in the pan itself. No extra blending needed. Making sauces with cottage cheese is an easy way to add texture and protein.
Family friendly:. This dinner passed the toddler test in my own home and I know it will pass in your home too! Be sure to use the mild Italian sausage to avoid anything too spicy for little kids.
Uses convenient ingredients: Convenience can be a good thing, especially in recipes like this. Canned tomatoes, fresh or frozen spinach, bagged tortellini, and dried herbs all add flavor and nutrition to this one pot dinner while saving you time in the kitchen.
Perfect for leftovers: This one pot tortellini dinner stores easily in the refrigerator and makes great leftovers that can be enjoyed throughout the week.
You’re going to love this family friendly one pot dinner recipe! Now let’s get into the flavorful ingredients you will need to make it:
Ingredients you’ll need:
Here’s what you’ll need to add to your grocery list:
Mild Italian Sausage: You could also choose spicy Italian sausage if you wanted to add a little bit of heat.
Garlic: Freshly minced.
Onion: Finely diced.
Canned diced tomatoes: We will use the entire can, including the juice, in this recipe. The liquid will combine into the cottage cheese sauce to create a delicious tomato based sauce that adds flavor to your dish!
Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this recipe.
Cottage cheese: This tortellini pasta is lightly coated in a high protein cottage cheese pasta sauce. This recipe is not for a heavily sauced pasta but this tomato cottage cheese sauce adds the perfect amount of flavor and an extra boost of protein to your dinner!
Whole milk: This one pot dinner uses whole milk instead of cream in the cottage cheese sauce.
Family sized bag of tortellini: I used the Rana cheese tortellini but you could use any flavor that you prefer!
Basil: We will be adding a lot of dried basil to this dish and you can also top it with fresh basil when it is done cooking.
Mozzarella cheese: To melt on top of your tortellini pasta once everything is cooked.
That’s all you’ll need!
Step by Step Instructions:
You’ll have these easy one pot dinner ready to enjoy in no time. Grab your largest pan, here’s how you make it:
1) Heat your pan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until the surface is warm. Then add your diced onion, minced garlic, and mild Italian sausage. Brown for 10-12 minutes or until your sausage is almost entirely cooked and your onions have softened.
2) Add your can of diced tomatoes (including the liquid), spinach, tortellini, cottage cheese, milk, and dried basil to your pan. Stir until well combined, pressing the ingredients down into the liquid.
Reduce your stove heat to low/medium, cover your pan with the lid, and simmer your ingredients for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your dinner is done when your tortellini have all softened.
3) Sprinkle your dinner with the mozzarella cheese and any fresh basil you wish to add. Remove the pan from the heat, replace the lid, and allow your one pot pasta to stand for 5 minutes to allow your cottage cheese sauce to thicken slightly. Serve warm and enjoy!
Swaps, substitutions, and serving suggestions:
Some other ways that you can serve up this one pot sausage and tortellini with spinach dinner would be to:
Add more veggies: Meals like this are great ways to use up any extra vegetables in your refrigerator. For this one pot pasta I would add freshly diced tomatoes, chopped zucchini, extra spinach, or finely diced kale.
Swap your meat: The mild Italian sausage adds a lot of flavor to this pasta but you could easily make this one pot dinner with ground chicken or ground turkey instead.
Add some spice: You can easily add some heat to this one pot dinner by using spicy Italian sausage instead of mild. You could also add red pepper flakes as a seasoning!
Change out your pasta: I love tortellini dinners for something different but you could swap out the tortellini for a different pasta type if you prefer. Simply add the noodles to your pot and allow them to cook in the cottage cheese sauce until fully cooked through.
And more! Make this one pot tortellini and sausage recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!
Recipe FAQ:
How long can I store this one pot dinner in my refrigerator?
These leftovers can be stored in your refrigerator for 3-5 days. I recommend keeping it in a glass container and reheating it on the stove top if you are reheating all of your leftovers. You could also microwave a single portion.
Can I use fresh ingredients?
You can definitely use fresh tomatoes and fresh spinach for this one pot recipe if you want to skip the canned tomatoes and frozen spinach. If using fresh tomatoes, I would add a little bit of extra milk to ensure there is enough liquid for your cottage cheese sauce.
What makes the cottage cheese pasta sauce?
Some recipes will have you blend the cottage cheese sauce on the side and add it after everything is done cooking but in the nature of a one pot recipe, I added all of your cottage cheese sauce ingredients to the pan and allowed them to come together on their own.
The cottage cheese sauce will be a combination of the cottage cheese, tomato juice, whole milk, dried basil, and some flavor from the sausage for a subtle pasta sauce that adds the perfect amount of flavor and protein.
Other one pot dinner ideas:
Looking for other one pot dinner ideas? I have a few on my blog that call for one pot, one cutting board, or one crockpot that I think you will love:
Deconstructed stuffed pepper skillet
Salsa Verde Pork (Crockpot Recipe)
Grinder Salad Wrap
Crockpot marry me chicken orzo
One Pot Sausage Tortellini with Spinach
This one pot sausage tortellini with spinach is ready in under 40 minutes, full of easy to use ingredients, and leaves you with minimal clean up. Coated in a simple cottage cheese pasta sauce, this one pot dinner is the perfect recipe to reach for on a busy weeknight that makes great leftovers and will be loved by all members of your family!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place a large pan over medium heat then add your minced garlic, chopped onion, and Italian sausage. Brown for 10-12 minutes or until your onions begin to soften and your sausage is mostly cooked.
- Reduce your heat to low and add your can of diced tomatoes (include the liquid!), cottage cheese, milk, spinach, basil, and tortellini. Stir all of the ingredients together then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until your tortellini is softened.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle your mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover and allow your pasta to stand for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt and sauce thicken. Serve warm and enjoy!
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!