Take-out Tuesday, 3 Way Tortellini, Soup, Stew or Pasta
With the onset of cooler weather I have been drawn to hearty soup recipes, such as this
Slow Cooker Lasagna Tortellini Soup from Olla-Podrida
Because I am lazy always looking for short cuts, I decided to really make it easy and use bottled marinara sauce
With sauteed onion,
Ground pork, Italian sausage,
Italian seasoning and some time in the slow cooker,
Mama Mia herself would never guess this sauce was not made from scratch
Promise!
And here’s the really cool part
Depending on how much tortellini you add, it can be a soup, a thick stew, or so thick it’s just like baked tortellini!
If you want it to be a soup, just add a little tortellini and some water, or more wine or broth
If you want it to be thick like chili or stew, add a little more tortellini
If you want it to be like a baked pasta dish add a lot of tortellini
As the tortellini cooks it soaks up moisture and the marinara sauce and becomes thick and flavorful
The slow cooking fills the pasta with flavor, better than any baked pasta dish
You can even stir in a spoonful of ricotta for creaminess like lasagna
3 Way Tortellini, Soup-Stew-Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 T butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 jars 25 oz. each, Marinara or Tomato Sauce or 6 cups homemade sauce
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- 6-10 ounces dry packaged cheese filled tortellini*
- red wine beef broth or water to taste
- ricotta cheese optional
- Sprig of basil for garnish
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- In a 12ā skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil and saute the onion until transparent and starting to brown. Add sausage and brown, stirring and breaking apart with wooden spoon. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, pour the marinara sauce into the slow cooker. Add sugar and seasonings. Stir in the cooked sausage with onions and garlic. Add 1/2 cup liquid of choice. Set the slow cooker on high, and cook for 3-4 hours or low for 5-7 hours.
- About 30-45 minutes before you are ready to serve, pour the dry packaged tortellini into the soup. Use 4-6 oz. for soup, 6-8 oz. for a thicker stew, and 8-10 oz. for a pasta dish more like baked pasta than soup.
- Turn the slow cooker up to high (or leave it if it was already on high) and let the tortellini cook for 15-20 minutes. Add additional liquid as desired. Turn slow cooker back down and serve within 30 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
Notes
Enjoy!
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Really sounds good and I will pin and put on my “must try” list. However paragraph 2 says “while the beef is cooking” and I think you meant to say pork. Thanks Jenna.š
Thanks for spotting that Cyndi! All fixed~
I live on this kind of cooking too Jenna!
Johanne Lamarche
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Really? You always seem to be such the gourmet!
Beautiful looking recipe, I love your cooking walk through with the pictures.
Thanks Sharon, it seems like everyone is doing videos now, but I am not ready for that!
I like your images as they are, videos donāt give me the time to ponder each image. Keep doing what your doing!
thank you Sharon, that’s how I feel too, I really appreciate your words
Jenna, All of these options look delicious and would be enjoyed here. I’m all about short cuts and easy these days and always looking for recipes that are good for cold chilly evenings……….
Thanks Emily, me too!
Jenna, we would love all three options! It looks delicious and is perfect for this time of year! Lazy could never describe you!
I really discovered this by accident, I added too much tortellini the first time and it was like a casserole but delicious. The next day I added more wine and marinara and made it into a soup. Either way, it is rich and satisfying, thanks Pam~
what a terrific idea! Yum and perfect for fall/winter!
Thanks Jeanie!
This looks so yummy! š Thanks for the recipe, Jenna! I like how versatile it is too. And I love your drawing with the lettering, “hearty!” šØšā¤ļø
ha, yeah, I don’t know where that hearty came from, my pen just took over!
Lol! š
Wow, this does look appetizing today! Yum! I’m cooking pulled pork tomorrow in the crock pot while I’m in art class. š
I’m pinning your recipe. I think I’d prefer it more as a soup! With lots of added wine! ;P
xo,
RJ
Don’t you love coming home to dinner cooking? I am actually posting a pulled pork recipe tomorrow, so easy and so good! I am forever looking for an easier way…:) Have fun at class tomorrow!
oh yum! making me hungry……… again! š
Sounds wonderfully tasty and easy Jenna! ‘Tis the season to put the slow cooker to work. š
I’m so glad you were inspired by my recipe! I had a bowl last night…from the freezer! Yep, in addition to being easy and delicious, it freezes beautifully. And I mean, no one would ever know it had been frozen. I think I need to make another batch.
I am so glad to hear that because I did freeze some, the recipe made a ton!! Thanks Pattie
I have that same bag of tortellini, Jenna, and I need to make your soup/stew. I’m just waiting, impatiently, for some cooler temperatures. I have some sausage in the freezer and I’ll be ready to go! Thank you for your inspiration.
I am sure ready for a delicious bowl of soup, this looks so good! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Come to next weeks Thanksgiving party on Tuesday at 8:00 am, CST, see you then!
Miz Helen