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Hearty Dinners/ Pasta/ Pork/ Quick Dinners/ Spice

One Pot Spicy Sausage Tortellini

May 3, 2024 (Last Updated: June 23, 2024) by Chris Collins

This tortellini is cooked in a rich and spicy sausage sauce which all comes together in one pot!

For how hearty and delicious this recipe is, I think you’ll be shocked at just how easily it comes together. Follow me…

spicy sausage tortellini served in large white bowl with silver fork

Sausage Tortellini

When I say ‘sausage tortellini’ I’m referring to the sauce that the tortellini is cooked in, not the filling. We’ll be using a cheese filling, which we’ll get to in just a sec!

What kind of sausage should I use?

We don’t have the widest selection of minced/ground sausage meat in the UK, so I typically use the meat from inside a pack of sausages. I typically go for a neutral flavour, but you could experiment with different flavours (bonus points for anything herby/Italian). You can of course use minced/ground sausage meat if that’s what you have. My friends across the pond, I imagine Italian sausage will work great here.

Cooking the sausage

We’ll start with a base of shallots and garlic, just to inject some flavour into the sauce. You’ll want to sweat them down for a couple of minutes, then you can add in the sausage. Try and get a nice crust on the sausage (more caramelisation = more flavour).

Process shots: fry shallots (photo 1), fry garlic (photo 2), add sausage (photo 3), fry (photo 4).

4 step by step photos showing how to cook sausage

One Pot Tortellini

For this recipe we’re going to be cooking the tortellini in the pot with everything else, as opposed to boiling it in a separate pot and then incorporating it. I also realised as I typed that out that it might be obvious given the ‘one pot’ title 😅

Why cook the tortellini in the same pot?

This is a great method for a few different reasons:

  • Flavour – the tortellini will soak in some of that gorgeous flavour as it cooks.
  • Starch – as it cooks it’ll release starch, which helps thicken the sauce.
  • Pots – less washing up!

The sauce is made from chopped tomatoes, stock and cream, then flavoured with tomato puree, chilli flakes, parmesan and parsley. I also love stirring through some spinach at the end!

Process shots: add in tomato puree, chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes, stock and cream (photo 5), stir (photo 6), add tortellini (photo 7), stir and simmer (photo 8), stir in parmesan and parsley (photo 9), stir in spinach (photo 10).

6 step by step photos showing how to make one pot tortellini

One Pot Sausage Tortellini FAQ

How spicy is this recipe?

I use 1 tsp chilli flakes, which give it a good punch of spice (but it’s certainly not overbearing). You can work to taste though!

Where can I find cheese tortellini?

I usually buy 2 packs of tortellini from Sainsbury’s which is literally called ‘Cheese Tortelloni’. It’s got an awesome flavour and is very affordable. I have tried this with Spinach and Ricotta, which is more widely available and also works nicely.

Can I use ravioli instead?

It’s not as easy to stir (unless it’s small) but it’ll work just the same!

sausage tortellini in large pot with wooden spoon digging in

Serving Spicy Sausage Tortellini

Once the sauce has thickened and the tortellini is al dente, serve it up right away with more parmesan, parsley and chilli flakes if desired!

I don’t typically serve this with any Sides, although Garlic Bread is always welcomed with a dish like this.

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this one pot sausage tortellini shall we?!

close up shot of sausage tortellini in large white bowl with silver fork

How to make Spicy Sausage Tortellini (Full Recipe & Video)

sausage tortellini in large pot with wooden spoon digging in

One Pot Spicy Sausage Tortellini

This tortellini is cooked in a rich and spicy sausage sauce which all comes together in one pot!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Servings (click & slide): 4
Course: Dinner / Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories per serving: 992kcal
Cost per serving: £3 / $4

Equipment:

  • Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
  • Large Pot & Wooden Spoon
  • Fine Cheese Grater
  • Jug (for stock)

Ingredients (check list):

  • drizzle of Olive Oil
  • 2 Shallots, finely diced
  • 4 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
  • 400g / 14oz Sausage Meat (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
  • 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes (see notes)
  • 1x 400g/14oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
  • 240ml / 1 cup Chicken Stock
  • 240ml / 1 cup Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp
  • 500g / 1lb uncooked fresh Cheese Tortellini (see notes)
  • 2 heaped tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus more to serve if desired
  • 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve if desired
  • 100g / 3.5oz Baby Spinach Leaves, large stalks removed if desired
  • Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions:

  • Add a drizzle of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds (you're not looking to colour either at this point). Add the sausage and break it up with your wooden spoon until golden and cooked through. You can raise the heat a little to caramelise the sausage if needed, just be careful you don't burn the shallots/garlic.
  • Stir in the chilli flakes and tomato puree and fry for a minute, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock and cream. Add in the uncooked tortellini and simmer for 5 or so minutes, gently stirring now and then until the sauce begins to thicken and the tortellini is almost cooked.
  • Stir in the parmesan and parsley until it blends with the sauce, then stir in the spinach until it begins to wilt. At this point the tortellini should be perfectly al dente and the sauce should no longer be watery. If you need to, you can stir in a splash of hot stock or water to thin out the sauce/cook the tortellini a little more.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve up and enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Sausage - I squeeze the meat from some pork sausages, although you can use ready minced/ground sausage meat if you'd prefer. I use neutral-flavoured ones, although you can experiment with different flavours if you'd like (anything herby/Italian would work great). I use 400g/14oz as that's the weight of most packs of sausages, but if whatever you find is 500g/1lb that's absolutely fine.
b) Spice - 1 tsp chilli flakes gives a good kick of spice, but it shouldn't be overbearing. If at all wary just start off with less and add more at the end. Much easier to add more than take them out!
c) Tortellini - I usually buy 2 packs of tortellini from Sainsbury's which are literally called 'Cheese Tortelloni' (very affordable too). I have tried this with Spinach and Ricotta, which is more widely available and also works nicely.
d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 assuming no extra parmesan.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
One Pot Spicy Sausage Tortellini
Amount Per Serving
Calories 992 Calories from Fat 577
% Daily Value*
Fat 64.16g99%
Saturated Fat 30.299g151%
Trans Fat 0.044g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.653g
Monounsaturated Fat 23.684g
Cholesterol 214mg71%
Sodium 1489mg62%
Potassium 827mg24%
Carbohydrates 69.48g23%
Fiber 5.3g21%
Sugar 6.68g7%
Protein 35.83g72%
Vitamin A 3892IU78%
Vitamin C 24.4mg30%
Calcium 357mg36%
Iron 4.65mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

For more spicy sausage pasta recipes check out my Harissa Sausage Pasta and Penne Arrabiata with Smoked Sausage!

For more similar recipes check out these beauties:

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5 KNOCKOUT

5 from 2 votes

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4 Comments

  • Reply
    Sarah C
    September 2, 2024 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    We LOVE this recipe – it is delicious!! Even my daughter who is not the biggest fan of sausage loves it! I’ve made this 4 times since you posted it on Instagram, 30 days of 30 minute dinners, that’s how much we love it!! Thank you!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 3, 2024 at 4:15 am

      Ah I’m so pleased to hear, Sarah! 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Dan
    June 18, 2024 at 9:59 am

    5 stars
    This was so good Chris. Another banger added to the list!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      June 18, 2024 at 1:54 pm

      Thanks Dan! 🙂 C.

    5 KNOCKOUT

    DINNERS

    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

    A FREE EMAIL SERIES, FROM ONE FOODIE TO ANOTHER