Baked Tortellini with Italian Sausage

While this baked tortellini dish requires a bit of chopping and some stove preparation, it can be refrigerated and baked longer for a ready-to-go meal. The fresh ingredients make the dish taste a thousand times more complicated and gourmet than it really is, which is another reason this large dish is great to feed a crowd. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the delicious, creamy sauce, and prepare for compliments. Even the leftovers are to die for!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 353 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ cups prepared marinara sauce
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 30 ounces frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 ½ pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 medium red bell peppers, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil; stir in tortellini and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tortellini float to the top and filling is hot, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 3

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir Italian sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Drain and discard grease, but do not rinse or clean the skillet. Place cooked sausage into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 4

Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until slightly browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bell peppers, zucchini, and squash; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in diced tomatoes, Neufchatel cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat until combined and smooth, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Pour cooked tortellini into the baking dish with sausage. Add vegetable mixture and stir gently to combine. Drizzle with marinara sauce; top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.