Tortellini are one of my most favorite things in the world. I will eat them plain, sauced, cold, hot, and filled with just about anything. This dish is amazingly delicious and so super easy to make. Plus, you only end up dirty one pot for the entire cooking process. That's right! The tortellini are cooked up right there in the sauce before being topped with cheesy ricotta goodness.
I'll admit it. I've been on a bit of a ricotta kick lately with making two different kinds of gnocchi and finding anywhere else in my cooking to use up what is now one of my favorite cheeses.
Okay, okay, so all cheeses are my favorite. Ya caught me!
I've lightened this dish up by using a turkey Italian sausage and a fat free ricotta cheese. I also rummaged through my grocery store to look through almost all of their organic spaghetti sauces to find the one with the lowest calories and fewest ingredients.
Why? Because I was wanting to make the sauce my own. I only went for a pre-made jar because I was trying to keep this dish simple and easy-cheesy! Something that would be perfect for a weeknight or back-to-school dinner. No fuss. No muss. Just good food that won't leave you feeling guilty!
Look at that cheesy gooey amazingness! This is the stuff dreams are made of...
The only thing I might do differently next time, would be to add in some spinach to wilt on top before adding the ricotta for an added boost of green veggies. I mean... I'll get spinach in where ever I can though.
One Skillet Cheesy Tortellini Lasagna
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1 Cup • Calories: 323 • Fat: 10.7 g • Carb: 36.2 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Protein: 21.2 g • Sugar: 6.5 g • Sodium: 1056.6 mg
Ingredients:
12 Oz. Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage, Removed from Casings
24 Oz. Marinara or Spaghetti Sauce (Mine was 45 calories a serving.)
1 C. Water
18 Oz. Three Cheese Whole Wheat Tortellini
8 Oz. Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
1/2 C. Reduced FatFat Free Shredded Mozzarella
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp. Dried Basil, Divided
1 Tsp. Dried Oregano, Divided
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Cook the sausage over a medium-high heat in a large deep skillet.
Once browned, add in the sauce, 1 c. water and 1/2 tsp. of the basil and oregano.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Add in the tortellini to the boiling sauce; cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the tortellini are cooking, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and the remaining basil and oregano.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the sauce has reduced and the noodles are nearly cooked through, top with the ricotta mixture.
Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the ricotta mixture is good and creamy.
Serve right away and enjoy!
