Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Tortellini

Ingredients

• 20 oz frozen cheese tortellini (Do not thaw.)
• 1 red bell pepper (Cut into bite-sized pieces.)
• 0.5 red onion (Cut into bite-sized pieces.)
• 8 oz broccoli florets (Cut into very small florets.)
• 0.5 cup Italian dressing (Any brand may be used; the author specifically mentions Olive Garden dressing as a preferred option.)
• 1 lb Italian sausage links (Cut into bite-sized pieces with kitchen scissors. Mild, sweet, hot, turkey, or chicken Italian sausage may be used as variations.)
• 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Sprinkle over the sheet pan; additional Parmesan is used for garnish.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. 2

   Spread the frozen cheese tortellini on a large sheet pan. The tortellini can go directly onto the pan from frozen; thawing is not necessary.

3. 3

   Add the bite-sized red bell pepper, red onion, and very small broccoli florets to the sheet pan.

4. 4

   Drizzle the Italian dressing over the tortellini and vegetables. Use a spatula to toss everything until evenly coated.

5. 5

   Use kitchen scissors to cut the Italian sausage links into bite-sized pieces.

6. 6

   Drop the sausage pieces evenly over the tortellini and vegetables.

7. 7

   Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the entire sheet pan.

8. 8

   Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F and the tortellini is tender.

9. 9

   Garnish with additional Parmesan and serve warm.

Notes

The source also suggests substituting ground Italian sausage, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage. If using ground sausage, sprinkle small pieces over the tortellini and vegetables. For a spicy variation, use spicy Italian sausage or add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Refrigerated tortellini requires a different method: bake the vegetables and sausage first for about 7–8 minutes, then add the tortellini with extra dressing for the remaining cooking time. Leftovers can be reheated in a baking dish with additional dressing and mozzarella-Parmesan cheese, or served over leafy greens with balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• sheet-pan
• one-pan
• Italian
• family-friendly
• weeknight
• pasta
• high-protein