Description
Tender cheese tortellini, savory chicken Italian sausage, and colorful bell peppers are tossed in a silky tomato cream sauce for an easy, comforting skillet dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound chicken Italian sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the tortellini. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the marinara sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to the skillet. Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Add the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet and simmer over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain well.
- Add the cooked tortellini to the skillet. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the fresh basil and serve hot with extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Cook the tortellini just until tender so it stays intact when mixed into the sauce.
- If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth or pasta water.
- Use mild or spicy chicken Italian sausage depending on your preferred heat level.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 515
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 65mg