Home » Crock Pot » Easy Crock Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage
A no-brown, no-boil slow cooker recipe with sausage meatballs cooked in spaghetti sauce under a bed of cheese tortellini and a creamy parmesan topping.
This dump-and-go recipe requires no meat to be browned or pasta to be cooked separately. Everything is going in the crock uncooked and coming out as a zesty, saucy Italian dish with meatballs made of Italian sausage and perfectly tender cheese tortellini!
The appeal of crock pot meals (for me, anyway) is that they be really easy. I don't want to have to brown meat or cook anything separately, especially on busy weekdays.
I want to just dump and go then presto! chango!, dinner is served! Otherwise I'd just cook all the stuff the traditional way, which if we're being honest, is going to yield better results in most cases.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Italian Sausage - Italian sausage links are the perfect way to make easy meatballs. Once you remove the casings, they practically roll themselves and always keep their shape. And the sausage is perfectly seasoned so no extra ingredients needed!
Spaghetti Sauce - A jar of prepared spaghetti sauce is also already seasoned (so we won't need to drag out a bunch of spices and ingredients here either) and creates the perfect base for the meatballs to cook in.
Fresh Tortellini - Fresh pasta takes way less time to cook than dried pasta so we can just toss the tortellini on top at the end, and the heat and steam in the crock pot will cook them perfectly.
Creamy Parmesan Topping - We'll heat some Half & Half in the microwave then pour it over the uncooked tortellini with some garlic powder and parmesan cheese. The starch from the pasta will bind itself to the fats in the Half & Half and parmesan which will make an easy creamy topping! This also ensures the tortellini cooks perfectly and makes them extra delicious.
HOW TO MAKE IT
The full, printable recipe card is down below but here's the basics of how to make this EASY recipe:
- Roll sausage links into meatballs then place in the crock (uncooked).
- Top meatballs with spaghetti sauce then cook on High 2-3 hours or Low 4-6 hours.
- Add tortellini on top.
- Heat Half & Half 2 minutes in the microwave, stir in salt and garlic powder then pour over tortellini.
- Top with parmesan cheese then continue cooking 15 minutes. That's it!
12 FAQ ON CROCK POT TORTELLINI
1. Can traditional homemade meatballs be used in this? Sure! Start with uncooked meatballs. They will be more tender than sausage meatballs so they may not hold their shape as well but that's OK!
2. Can I use frozen meatballs instead of sausage? Technically, yes, but I imagine the texture will be pretty "corky" when cooked this long. I would reduce the initial cooking time by half.
3. What brand Italian sausage is best? I like Johnsonville and Publix best. The only brand I've encountered that I didn't like starts with a 'P' and rhymes with "chemo" (I think it's too firm and a little tough).
4. Should I use hot, sweet or mild Italian sausage? I always use hot but any will work!
5. How do you remove the sausage casings easily? Just run a sharp knife down the length of the sausage to cut the casing then you can peel it right off. It's easier than peeling a banana!
6. Won't the sausage make things greasy? Oddly, no! Italian sausage doesn't put off as much grease as ground beef and I've never noticed any standing or excess oil in this recipe.
7. Can I use other types of tortellini? Absolutely! I love this with mushroom tortellini too! So long as it's FRESH, you can use any variety.
8. What type of spaghetti sauce do you like best? I almost always use Prego (Traditional or Tomato Basil & Garlic) if I'm not using my homemade sauce recipe (which I keep stocked in the freezer).
9. Can I use marinara sauce? Yes! But keep in mind that marinara sauce usually has a little less spices and salt so you may want to add both if using.
10. Can this be frozen? I haven't tried it myself but I can't think of a reason it wouldn't freeze well.
11. Can this be made with ground beef instead of Italian sausage? Yes, but you'll need to season it well (I'd use salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder).
12. Can I add peppers and onions? Sounds good to me! I'd put them on top of the sauce while the meatballs cook.
LOVE THE NO-BOIL, NO-BROWN PART OF THIS RECIPE?
Me too! If this super easy method appeals to you, you HAVE GOT to make the No-Boil, No-Brown Italian Sausage & Pasta Bake! It's a LOT like this recipe but uses traditional dried pasta and bakes in the oven.
3 EASY SLOW COOKER COMPLETE MEALS
None of these recipes requires browning the meat or precooking any of the ingredients (and no instant rice) and each is a complete meal!
Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole - A simple but delicious casserole with Uncle Ben's wild rice, chicken tenderloins and mushrooms made easy in a crock pot.
Crock Pot Swamp Potatoes - Smothered fresh green beans, potatoes and smoked sausage cooked in a slow cooker with butter, onions and Cajun seasoning.
Southern Style Crock Pot Chicken & Rice - An easy slow cooker recipe for a Carolina favorite made with tender stewed chicken and long grain rice.
Recipe for Crock Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage
Easy Crock Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage
A no-brown, no-boil slow cooker recipe with sausage meatballs cooked in spaghetti sauce under a bed of cheese tortellini and a creamy parmesan topping.
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs Italian sausage links
- 1 24-oz jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 20-oz pack fresh cheese tortellini
- 1 1/4 cups Half & Half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Remove casings from sausage links then cut or pinch off pieces to roll into meatballs (4-5 meatballs from each individual link) then add to a large crock pot.
- Pour spaghetti sauce over sausage meatballs. Cover then cook on High 2-3 hours or Low 4-6 hours.
- Add tortellini in an even layer on top of sauce and meatballs then cover. Increase heat to High if not there already.
- Heat Half & Half in microwave for 2 minutes or until almost boiling. Stir in garlic powder and salt then pour over tortellini. Tortellini should be mostly submerged but if not, press them into the liquid a bit. It's OK if the tops are not completely covered. 1.25 c. Half & Half, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt
- Sprinkle grated parmesan over tortellini, cover with lid then cook on high 15-20 minutes or until tortellini is tender. 2/3 c. cheese
- Garnish with additional grated parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
Notes
- PRO TIP: Keep the empty sauce jar. The pasta will absorb the sauce the longer it sits (and may get a little dry). Add 1/2 cup HOT water and 2 tablespoons butter to the empty jar (which will have plenty of residual sauce in it), replace the lid then shake vigorously until the butter has melted and the mixture has emulsified, then stir into pasta if it has gone dry (or if you just like things a little saucy). This is also good to do if you have a lot left over and plan on refrigerating it.
- You can use loose Italian sausage - the links are just really easy to roll into meatballs.
- You can probably use whole milk or a combo of cream and skim milk in place of Half & Half (though I have not personally tested it).
- Fresh tortellini is usually found near the prepackaged cheeses in grocery stores.
- See FAQ above for more info, tips and suggestions.
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