Italian Sausage Tortellini Skillet
This is the one where frozen tortellini meets a skillet of creamy, caramelized onion sauce with spicy Italian sausage. Fontina melts right into the light cream sauce, making it exactly what I want when the air turns crisp and dinner needs to be easy and comforting.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 3 T butter
- 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 T fresh thyme minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb cheese tortellini
- 2 cups light cream
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup fontina cheese
- ½ cup sharp provolone or Asiago
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts of water to boil. Season generously with kosher salt and cook the tortellini for about 2-3 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the tortellini in a colander and set aside.1 lb cheese tortellini
- Heat a large wide, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Crumble in the ground Italian sausage and brown until no pink, about 8 minutes. Break up the sausage with a paddle. Remove from skillet to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.1 lb Italian sausage
- Add 2 T of butter to the pan and saute 2 thinly sliced yellow onions and fresh thyme (1 TB) until caramelized about 30 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add in some minced garlic right at the end.3 T butter, 2 yellow onions, 2 T fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- To the onions, pour in the light cream, beef stock and remaining tablespoon of butter. Slightly thicken the sauce over low heat, stirring every so often for a total of about 5 minutes. If the sauce thickens too quickly or much, add in 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time and stir to your desired consistency. Remember the tortellini will soak up the sauce so you might use all the water.2 cups light cream, 1 cup beef stock
- Heat the oven broiler. Add the cooked tortellini and sausage to the skillet and toss until the pasta is coated. Top with all the cheeses (ending with the Parmesan) and broil until golden. Garnish with parmesan and more fresh thyme/parsley. Serve with toasted garlic bread and sauteed spinach.1 cup fontina cheese, 1/2 cup sharp provolone or Asiago, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, fresh parsley
Notes
Can't find light table cream? You can also use shelf-stable cooked cream usually near alternative milks or in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
