Sprig Originals's kitchen / Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage Bake with Spinach
Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage Bake with Spinach
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Everything goes straight into the baking dish — no pot to boil, no pan to brown. Cheese tortellini cooks right in a creamy tomato sauce with Italian chicken sausage and spinach, then finishes under a blanket of melted mozzarella. It feeds a family on a weeknight and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 cup marinara sauce (one 24 oz jar)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Bake
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (uncooked)
- 12 oz fully cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, sliced into coins
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the marinara, cream, and water directly into the baking dish. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper and whisk with a fork until smooth.
- Add the uncooked tortellini, sliced sausage, and all of the spinach. Fold with a spatula until everything is coated (the spinach will look like far too much — it collapses as it bakes). Spread level and scatter the Parmesan over the top.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the tortellini is tender when pierced.
- Uncover, stir gently to redistribute the sauce, then scatter the mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the cheese is melted with golden spots.
- Let the bake rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens, then scatter with torn basil and serve.
Chef's tips
- Refrigerated tortellini is what makes the no-boil method work; frozen tortellini also works but add 10 minutes to the covered bake time. Dried shelf-stable tortellini needs more liquid and is not a good swap here.
- Cover tightly — steam trapped under the foil is what cooks the pasta. If the foil sits loosely, the top layer can stay firm.
- Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat portions covered at 350°F for 15 minutes, or microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- Swap the chicken sausage for 8 oz sliced pepperoni or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken — both are already cooked, so nothing else changes.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
680calories
39gprotein
56gcarbs
34gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
Made with Sprig
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