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On a chilly night when you’re craving a cozy and easy dinner recipe, this Sausage and Kale Tortellini Bake is sure to be a family favorite.
I am all about a simple skillet dinner, especially during busy school weeknights. On nights when I need to get dinner on the table quickly, I love turning to this recipe that is not only simple to make but also requires only a few fresh ingredients. It uses my favorite shortcut ingredient — fresh cheese tortellini — which adds heft and creaminess to the skillet. I also love to use Italian sausage, which has so much flavor, but you could use any type of ground meat such as beef, pork, or turkey. The whole thing comes together in a little over 30 minutes and with such easy clean-up, you can spend more time with your family or getting things done around the house!
ingredients:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Italian Sausage
- Yellow Onion
- Lacinato Kale
- Marinara Sauce
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Lemon Zest
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Fresh Cheese Tortellini
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Fresh Basil
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
step-by-step:
Step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
step two: Brown the Sausage and Sauté the Kale
Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
step three: add the kale
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until it has slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
step four: simmer the sauce
Add the marinara sauce, broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
step five: cover with cheese and bake
Once simmering, remove from the heat and add the tortellini. Gently stir to combine and spread into an even layer in the skillet. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the tortellini is tender and the cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
step six: rest, garnish, and serve!
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
recipe faqs:
A 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a similar heavy-bottomed skillet that is oven-safe, like stainless steel! Just be sure to avoid nonstick since most nonstick surfaces aren’t safe at high temperatures.
Taste Republic makes my favorite gluten-free tortellini. If you need a dairy-free option, Kite Hill is great!
I can’t wait to hear what you and your families think of this Sausage and Kale Tortellini Bake! Tag me on social @thedefineddish so I can see your final dish!
want more cozy pasta recipes? try these!
One-Pan Italian Sausage and Orzo
Sausage and Kale Tortellini Bake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 4 cups roughly chopped lacinato kale (from about 1/2 bunch)
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For Serving:
- fresh basil
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat. any
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until it has slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce, broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
- Once simmering, remove from the heat and add the tortellini. Gently stir to combine and spread into an even layer in the skillet. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the tortellini is tender and the cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
While I love “real” cooking with lots of stuff from scratch, I had a baby this spring so I appreciate Alex and the team having recipes that uses prepackaged stuff like tortellini and marinara to make something delish. This one’s going in the the (recipe) box – as we say in our house.
I made this for my husband and me, and it was a HUGE hit! Fabulous! I subbed ground turkey for the sausage, which worked great.
Do you think I could sun spinach for the kale?
Definitely!
How long would you cook if using frozen tortellini?
Made this tonight for my husband and me! What a hit, we both loved it. Easy to make, and plenty of leftovers! Will definitely be making this again. Thank you
Perfect weeknight meal!
Excited to try! If we can’t find the tortellini in the fridge section, would regular work fine? Assuming we boil it first? Love your recipes!
You won’t need to boil it completely, just enough to soften it a bit, as it will finish cooking in the oven. You don’t want to over cook it/it will get mushy.
This looks amazing! Do you think it would reheat? I would like to drop it off to a friends house.
Yes, definitely! You can give to them in a skillet and reheat at 350F until warmed through, about 15 minutes or can alway microwave as well.
Hi Alex! Could you sub another kind of short, cooked pasta in place of the tortellini?
I am worried it won’t be tender enough/cook all the way through, the cook time might vary and you may need a little extra broth to help compensate
Would a gluten free tortellini work? Should I boil them first then add to the dish after it has baked in the oven?
As long as it’s fresh tortellini (from the fridge section) you shouldn’t have to boil off first! Just add to the dish and it will soften in the oven!