Tortellini with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Broccoli

Fresh tortellini tossed with a light sauce, roasted broccoli, and chicken sausage.  Topped with parmesan cheese this is a perfect weeknight dinner that is truly a crowd-pleaser.

This recipe is truly a go-to around here.  Everyone loves pasta, and it is the best quick weeknight meal option when you want to cook a homemade meal but don’t have a lot of time or energy to do it.

Ingredients You’ll Need

1 LB Pasta: I use cheese-filled tortellini in this recipe but feel free to use your favorite pasta of choice. If you don’t like or have tortellini, I recommend using penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or orecchiette pasta for this recipe.

3-4 cups of Broccoli florets: Fresh broccoli works best in this dish when it is roasted.  About the amount of broccoli florets 1 head of broccoli yields

Olive Oil – 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons

Onion – white or yellow, about 1/2 cup

Fresh Garlic: 3 cloves You can’t have a pasta dish without garlic, blasphemy!  Be sure to use freshly minced garlic in this recipe for the best flavor.

4 Chicken Sausages:  This should yield roughly 2 cups of sliced sausage.  This recipe uses Italian Chicken Sausage. If you prefer a little heat, you can use a hot Italian sausage or I’ve even used browned ground turkey with some Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes in this recipe.

Chicken Stock: 1 cup This is the base for the sauce and it adds great flavor.

Parmesan Cheese: I love the flavor of Parmesan Cheese. If you prefer, you could use pecorino or Romano cheese instead of parmesan. Use what you like and it will taste good to you and your whole family.

Recipe Instructions for Tortellini with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Broccoli

• Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package instructions, once it is al dente remove it from the water, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Set aside.
• Toss the broccoli with the olive oil, with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and evenly distribute the chicken sausages around the pan. Roast in a 425-degree F oven until the broccoli and sausages are beginning to brown.
• While the broccoli and sausages are cooking, in a skillet over medium-high heat add the rest of the olive oil.  Add the onion and saute until translucent and soft.  Turn the heat to low add in the garlic and saute for about a minute.  Add in the chicken broth and pasta water and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Let it simmer for about 3 or 4 minutes and add in the tortellini.
• Once the broccoli and sausage are brown, remove from the oven.  Dice the sausages into bite-sized pieces and toss the sausage and broccoli mixture into the pasta.  Add in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the side to top the pasta if desired.

How to store Leftovers

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Reheat in the microwave or a low oven.

Recipe variations

• Substitute the chicken sausage for rotisserie chicken
• Try using spicy Italian sausage instead of chicken sausage
• Roasted broccoli rabe that’s cut into bite-sized pieces would be a great substitute for the broccoli
• Try adding a little lemon zest or parsley at the end for a fresh flavor
• If you want the sauce to be more creamy, you could add a dollop of cream cheese to the chicken broth.

Printable Recipe Card

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Tortellini with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Broccoli

Fresh tortellini tossed with a light sauce, roasted broccoli, and chicken sausage pasta.  Topped with parmesan cheese this is a perfect weeknight dinner that is truly a crowd pleaser.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Bag of frozen Cheese-filled Tortellini
• 3-4 cups Fresh Broccoli Florettes
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil + 2 Tablespoons
• 3 Cloves Fresh garlic
• 4 Italian Chicken Sausages This should yield about 2 cups of sliced chicken sausage
• 1 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for the table when serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grab a large pot, fill it with water, and heat it on high until it comes to a boil on the stove.
• Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package instructions, once it is al dente remove it from the water, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
• Toss the broccoli with the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, also salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and evenly distribute the whole chicken sausages around the pan. Roast in a 425-degree F oven until the broccoli and outside of the sausages are beginning to brown.
• While the broccoli and sausages are cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the diced onion and cook until it becomes a bit soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for about a minute. Add in the chicken broth and pasta water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 3 or 4 minutes and stir in the tortellini and turn off the heat.
• Once the broccoli and sausage are brown, remove from the oven. Dice the sausages into bite-sized pieces and toss the sausage and broccoli mixture into the pasta. Add a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the side to top the pasta if desired.