Recently, we had some friends over and were struggling to make a dish that was large enough to feed everyone. Usually, when we are in this scenario, we just look to one of our favorite pasta dishes and call it a day. In this case, we wanted to do something a little different.

While tortellini is still technically a pasta, it’s definitely next level. We made this dish with hot Italian sausage, but it can be made with any protein. If you’re serving non-meat eaters, it can be made without the sausage and still taste great!

In our household, we love spicy food. When we make it, we add even more red pepper flakes and cayenne to really take it up a notch. Feel free to do the same! We made it the way it’s described below for our party because some of our guests couldn’t handle the heat, so to speak.

Let’s get started!

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Spicy Italian Sausage Tortellini

This tortellini recipe is packed with flavor and has an delicious kick of spice!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 20 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp minced onion
• 1 and 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 package cheese tortellini
• 1 package hot italian sausage
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, begin browning italian sausage in butter.

2. When both sides are browned, add water and simmer on medium-low with a lid.

3. In a large pot, add tomato sauce and all of the spices listed above and bring to a low boil. 

4. Begin heating a separate pot of water and add tortellini. Cook for directed time on the back of your package (usually about four minutes).

5. When sausage is cooked through, cut into inch chunks and add to sauce.

6. Strain your tortellini and add to sauce. Stir well and enjoy!