I can still picture an overcast Saturday when the kitchen smelled like garlic and slow-simmered tomatoes and the whole family drifted in for a low-key dinner, that evening I pulled together a simple Tortellini Crockpot Recipe that felt both indulgent and effortless, the kind of meal that fills the room and lets you keep making plans while the slow cooker does the work.
Why You’ll Love It
This tortellini in the crockpot is a blend of convenience and comfort, perfect for weeknight dinners or a cozy weekend where you want rich, creamy pasta without standing over the stove, it feeds a small family easily, pleases picky eaters, and leaves you time to sip wine or fold laundry while the flavors deepen.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes |
Cook Time: 180 minutes |
Total Time: 195 minutes
Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (about 1 package)
- 12 ounces Italian mild or sweet sausage, casing removed
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (one jar)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and crumble in the sausage, cook until browned and mostly cooked through about 5 to 7 minutes, drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the browned sausage to the crockpot, add the diced onion and garlic, pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth, stir in Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, which allows the sauce flavors to deepen; if short on time use high for
- 5 to 2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan until the sauce is silky, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the refrigerated tortellini and fresh spinach to the crockpot, gently fold to submerge the tortellini in sauce, recover and cook on low for 12 to 15 minutes until tortellini are tender but not overcooked.
- If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and cook on high for a few minutes to thicken, if too thick stir in a splash of chicken broth.
- Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with extra Parmesan and fresh basil leaves, serve warm with a wooden spoon or pasta server.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Sausage Free Vegetarian: Omit sausage, add a cup of sliced mushrooms and a 15 ounce can of cannellini beans for protein, increase spinach to 3 cups.
- Tomato Cream with Chicken: Use 2 cups cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken instead of sausage for a milder, family friendly version.
- Lighter Version: Substitute half and half or whole milk for heavy cream and use turkey sausage to reduce fat.
- Cheesy Four Cheese: Stir in 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup cream cheese with the Parmesan for a richer, creamier sauce.
Make Ahead: You can brown the sausage and chop the onion and garlic up to 24 hours ahead, store them covered in the refrigerator, and assemble everything in the crockpot insert the morning of cooking, tortellini is best added and cooked within a few hours of serving but sauce can be prepared and chilled up to 2 days in advance and reheated before adding tortellini.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen tortellini in the crockpot?
Yes but be careful, frozen tortellini can become soft faster, add it for the last 20 to 25 minutes of cooking and check for tenderness early.
Do I have to brown the sausage first?
Browning adds flavor and better texture, but you can skip it and cook raw sausage in the sauce if you are short on time, just increase cooking time slightly and stir to break it up.
How can I make this dairy free?
Use full fat coconut milk or a dairy free creamer in place of heavy cream and swap Parmesan for a dairy free cheese alternative or nutritional yeast to add savory depth.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove with a little broth.
Tortellini Crockpot Recipe
This tortellini in the crockpot is a blend of convenience and comfort, perfect for weeknight dinners or a cozy weekend where you want rich, creamy pasta without standing over the stove, it feeds a small family easily, pleases picky eaters, and leaves you time to sip wine or fold laundry while the flavors deepen.
Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (about 1 package)
- 12 ounces Italian mild or sweet sausage, casing removed
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (one jar)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and crumble in the sausage, cook until browned and mostly cooked through about 5 to 7 minutes, drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the browned sausage to the crockpot, add the diced onion and garlic, pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth, stir in Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, which allows the sauce flavors to deepen; if short on time use high for
- 5 to 2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan until the sauce is silky, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the refrigerated tortellini and fresh spinach to the crockpot, gently fold to submerge the tortellini in sauce, recover and cook on low for 12 to 15 minutes until tortellini are tender but not overcooked.
- If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and cook on high for a few minutes to thicken, if too thick stir in a splash of chicken broth.
- Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with extra Parmesan and fresh basil leaves, serve warm with a wooden spoon or pasta server.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
Conclusion
This Tortellini Crockpot Recipe is one of those recipes that looks elegant while being utterly simple to pull off, it rewards a little planning with big, comforting flavor and gives you time back in your evening, trust the slow cooker to marry the tomato and cream into a silky sauce, add the tortellini at the end, and enjoy a cozy, worth-the-effort dinner that invites you to experiment with proteins and cheeses as you like.
