This Tortellini Lasagna comes together in just 20-minutes in one skillet! Enjoy this delicious and nutritious Italian dinner with sausage & kale.
I love lasagna. I love making lasagna. But lasagna is definitely a labor of love. The typical version I make layers noodles with both a bechamel sauce and a meat bolognese sauce. It takes close to an entire afternoon to assemble and bake it.
Because of this, I typically make lasagna once or twice a year – at most.
For those in between times, I needed a new way to get my fix. This is my cheater lasagna aka lazy lasagna with tortellini. I also make this Lasagna Soup.
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But the best part about this dish? It’s a meal that you can prepare from start to finish in 20 minutes flat.
Why this recipe works
I wanted to make lasagna easy. So, instead of layering noodles with cheese and my homemade marinara sauce, I’m using refrigerated tortellini, which are already filled with cheese, and I poured in some store-bought marinara sauce. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, absorbing all those great flavors and cooking to just the right texture.
I also wanted to up the nutrition a bit. So, I added in a few big handfuls of baby kale. You could also use baby spinach if you prefer. I added some Italian sausage into the mix too. Or, you can use turkey sausage. If you’re a vegetarian, feel free to leave out the sausage entirely, or use a meat-free alternative.
And, last but not least, I wanted cheesy. So, to finish things off, I topped the skillet with big dollops of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Covering the skillet for the last five minutes of cooking time really helps that cheese to melt down into the skillet, ensuring that each and every bite you take will have some of that yummy cheesy goodness running through it.
I’ll definitely be making this skillet lasagna more than twice a year. In fact, it’s already become a dish on regular rotation at our house. Rick even said: “You could serve this dish at a restaurant!”
Do you have any dishes that you’ve tweaked to make more friendly for weeknight cooking? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Ingredients needed
- Sausage – I use mild, bulk Italian sausage. You can also use turkey or chicken sausage, hot sausage, ground beef, ground pork, or a meat alternative sausage for a vegetarian version.
- Marinara Sauce – You can use store bought tomato sauce or homemade marinara sauce.
- Fresh or Frozen Cheese Tortellini – See below ↓↓↓
- Kale – I used baby kale. You can also use spinach.
- Cheese! – I used ricotta, grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
- Spices – Oregano, basil, salt & pepper
Can you use frozen tortellini instead of fresh?
Yes! You can use frozen or fresh tortellini in this recipe. The cook time will be the same for both.
How to make it
- In a large, nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Add in the marinara sauce and ½ cup water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Stir in the tortellini and kale and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the tortellini simmers, combine the cheeses, basil and oregano in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- After the tortellini has cooked, drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the tortellini.
- Without stirring, cover pan and allow to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until cheese dollops are warmed through.
- Enjoy!
How to make ahead and store
- This tortellini casserole will keep for up to three days stored in the fridge. Reheat leftovers on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave. I don’t recommend freezing this dish as the tortellini become too soggy.
What to serve with it
- Arugula Salad
- Radicchio Salad with Olives & Parmesan
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad with Roasted Lemons
- Fennel and Chickpea Salad
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
- More → 30+ EASY Sides for Lasagna
Erin’s wine pairings
- This simple dish calls for an unfussy, red wine. Try a Chianti or a young Barbera.
More lasagna recipes
- Crostini Lasagna Appetizer Recipe
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Classic Italian Lasagna with Bechamel
- Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Lasagna Soup (One Pot Recipe)
More tortellini recipes
Did you try this recipe?
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Full Recipe
Cheese Tortellini Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild bulk Italian sausage
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- ½ cup water
- 20 oz cheese tortellini
- 3 cups baby kale
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large, nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Add marinara sauce and ½ cup water. Allow to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in tortellini and kale and let simmer 5 minutes.
- While the tortellini simmers, combine the cheeses, basil and oregano in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- After the tortellini has cooked 5 minutes, drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the tortellini. Without stirring, cover pan and allow to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until cheese dollops are warmed through. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2023 to add new photographs and content. The tortellini lasagna with ricotta recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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