Tortellini with Italian Sausage & Spinach

This meal is simple from start to finish, yet it tastes quite gourmet! 

With such few ingredients {tortellini, sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach}, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised by the taste!

Tortellini with Italian Sausage & Spinach – Adapted from Dinner with Julie

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of fresh 3-cheese tortellini {whole wheat, if you can find it!}
• 3 mild Italian turkey sausages, sliced into rounds
• 2 C fresh, sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• ~3 large handfuls of fresh spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 C chicken stock
• 1/4 – 1/2 C half and half
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by browning the Italian turkey sausage.  We used ground in our recipe – I browned the entire pound and then used half in our recipe.  You can use ground or links – either works.  If you do ground, leave the meat in larger chunks for this dish!

Add in the 2 C baby bella mushrooms (sliced), medium red bell pepper and minced garlic (we used dried minced garlic here).  Saute for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms begin to release their liquid. 

Meanwhile, add tortellini to a pot of boiling water.  Cook according to package directions. 

When the mushrooms are releasing their water, add in 3/4 C chicken broth/stock to the pan.  Scrape along the bottom of the pan to get the good browned pieces up and add flavor to the dish. 

Simmer for 5ish minutes until veggies are tender.  Than, add spinach. 

Stir in the spinach until it’s wilted. 

Drain the tortellini and add the pasta to the dish. 

Add in 1/4 C whipping cream or half and half, warming the dish while stirring. 

Top with Parmesan cheese and stir to melt the cheese. 

Serve warm!

Leftovers reheat nicely too – this makes a great lunch for day #2!