Cheese Tortellini Served with Italian Sausage and Mushroom-Spinach Cream

Ingredients

• 2 Italian sausages, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cup finely shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 (9 ounce) packages tri-colored cheese-filled tortellini

Step 1

Lightly heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s nicely browned, which should take about 10 minutes. While the sausage is cooking, warm a bit of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a notch, then add the tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, basil, salt, and pepper. Let everything simmer gently, stirring now and then.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, cheese, and flour until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pot with your veggies and bring it back to a simmer. Keep stirring occasionally—it should thicken and reduce a bit in about 15 minutes.

Step 3

While the sauce is cooking down, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook until they’re tender, which usually takes about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta, then toss it into the sauce, mixing everything well before serving.