Andouille Sausage Tortellini Skillet Meal is an easy one pan meal that's ready in 30 minutes. Andouille sausage and cheese tortellini are coated in a cheesy tomato sauce.
You'll love this andouille sausage tortellini skillet meal because it requires only a few ingredients and it's ready in less than 30 minutes.
Not to mention this dish is cooked in a single pan. That means less time spent cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.
Andouille sausage is a hot, cajun sausage that adds a ton of flavor to this dish. It pairs perfectly with cheese tortellini and the creamy cheese sauce.
Sausage substitute
If you are not a fan of spicy or hot sausage, feel free to substitute with your favorite sausage instead. Italian sausage or chorizo would both make great substitutes.
Keep in mind that substituting sausage for an unseasoned meat means you'll want to add additional seasoning to the dish. The andouille sausage adds a lot of flavor because it is already seasoned with garlic, pepper, onions, and spices.
If substituting with an unseasoned meat, I suggest adding ¼ teaspoon of paprika and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for extra flavor.
Thickening your sauce
Thickening your sauceThere is something magical about pasta skillet meals. You don't need any sort of thickener, like flour or cornstarch, to make your sauce.
Because your pasta is boiled in the same pan, it releases starch into the liquid in the pan, which helps to thicken the sauce. No extra ingredients required!
If you follow the measurements exactly, your skillet meal should have the perfect amount of liquid needed for the pasta in the recipe. If your sauce looks thin, allow it to rest for 5 minutes after cooking.
Your sauce will continue to thicken as it stands, because your pasta is continually absorbing liquid. If your sauce gets too thick, you can always add a splash of broth or water to thin it back out.
Andouille Sausage and Tortellini Skillet Meal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced
- ½ large onion chopped
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces cheese tortellini
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once heated, add sliced andouille sausage and onions and cook until sausage is browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and tortellini. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until tortellini are cooked through. Most of the liquid should be absorbed in this step.
- Reduce heat to low. Add heavy cream, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stir, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it rests.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Optionally, add scallions or chives as a garnish.
- Andouille sausage can be substituted with your favorite type of sausage - chorizo or Italian sausage are great choices.
- If your sauce looks thin, allow it to set for 5 minutes. The pasta will continually absorb liquid as it sits.
So I bought the tortellini from the refrigerator section and later found out you can buy it dry. Which one should I use?
Hi holly, I used the refrigerated tortellini for this recipe.
This was very good…35 minutes, start to finish….may try fire roasted tomatoes the next time.
Thank you for the great review, Scott. Glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed the recipe. Felt like the spice level was not up to where I would like for it to be. So next time I may dice up a jalapeno or two and throw that in. That's just me though. Still very tasty
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mike! Jalapenos sound like a great addition.
Used fire roasted tomatoes and instead of heavy cream used half evaporated milk and half sour cream. Was great!
I have half and half but not cream, can i use that? adjustments?
Hi Beth! Half & half should work, but your sauce may be a little on the thin side. I'd recommend using about 1/3 of a cup, checking the consistency, then adding more as desired.
thanks, i never have heavy cream, but
always have half and half.
If using dried tortellini, would you recommend cooking according to package first? I did not read your recipe well enough and bought dry instead of fresh!
Hi Kristen, dry tortellini should still work in this recipe. Your skillet meal will need a bit longer to cook (I'd check the dry tortellini package for cooking times) and you may need to add a splash or two of water if the pan begins to dry out. Let us know how it goes!