Simple Fare, Fairly Simple

Have you ever had one of those days where it doesn't matter how many times you look in your cabinet, pantry or fridge, you just can't find anything to make for dinner? And you go back multiple times thinking that maybe each time you do, there will be something that has magically appeared that could be a meal? That happened to me the other day. All day long I just couldn't think of one thing to make and nothing was jumping out of my pantry screaming "make me! make me!!". Until I spied the tortellini hiding waaaay in the back of the cabinet behind the mac & cheese and the expired cream of mushroom soup (yes, I have those things, too). I grabbed the tortellini then remembered some spicy Italian sausage and oh! Isn't there a wedge of parmesan in my fridge and also some heavy cream? I think I saw a red bell pepper in there, too! Yay! I had a concept....which soon became a reality. Let it be your reality, too because this turned out amazingly delicious!!



Cream Sauced Tortellini 
and Sausage Casserole



1 package cheese stuffed tortellini
1 pound Italian sausage
1 small onion - diced
1 – 2 cloves garlic – minced
1 red bell pepper - diced

1/2 c. butter
2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Boil tortellini and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and red pepper until just soft.

Add sausage and cook until sausage is done. Remove mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the butter. Pour in cream and add salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until thickened. Add grated parmesan and stir until melted.

Add cooked tortellini and sausage mixture to sauce and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serves 6


*If you want a thicker sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of water and pour into cream mixture. Cook until sauce is thickened then add pasta and meat mixture.

Here's the line up.

Saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic 

in some olive oil for a little bit.

Then add the sausage and cook until done. I used spicy sausage but you could use the mild and it would be fine. I also used links and just removed the casings.

Remove the meat/veggie mixture to a 

bowl then add the butter to the skillet.

Once the butter has melted, add the heavy cream and let that thicken. If it's not as thick as you'd like, make a flour/water slurry and add it to the butter/cream mixture. I did this because I like a thicker sauce.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the grated parm and let it melt.

Put the meet/veggie mixture and the cooked

tortellini into the sauce and give it a stir.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. 

Sprinkle with more parm, cover with foil and bake!

Copyright © 2011 Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. All rights reserved.