This simple and delicious One Skillet Cheese Tortellini Recipe is a 30-minute meal that only requires 5 ingredients. This is a no-boil recipe – no need to drag out your large saucepan to boil the tortellini first. And it is made in one skillet so it’s easy prep, easy cleanup, and still so delicious.
It packs so much flavor and nutrition, this tortellini with tomato sauce is a dish even your pickiest eaters will love!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you love recipes with tortellini and want something that's simple and foolproof, look no further than this recipe. With yummy cheese tortellini and healthy zucchini, this one-skillet recipe is an absolute breeze to prepare and clean up.
Best of all, it only requires 5 ingredients, which makes it a go-to busy weeknight recipe!
Another great one skillet meal is my One Skillet Ground Beef with Orzo. Seriously, it makes the whole dinner process so much easier to cook everything in the same pan!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- zucchini - I like to use yellow zucchini for this dish, but any kind will work.
- tomato sauce - use your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce.
- Parmesan - you'll mix this into the sauce while it cooks for a cheesy flavor throughout.
- tortellini - using refrigerated tortellini is a great option to cut down on prep and cooking time, but of course feel free to make it from scratch if you like making homemade, fresh tortellini!
- shredded mozzarella - to sprinkle over top for extra cheesiness.
🔪 Instructions
- Trim one end of the zucchini, then use a cheese grater to shred.
- Pour all of the tomato sauce into your pot, then add the shredded zucchini and Parmesan.
- Mix well and allow to come up to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Mix in your tortellini and bring back up to a simmer, cooking for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella over top and cover, then cook for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
👪 FAQs
When boiling, once the tortellini floats and has expanded slightly, that's a good indication it's done. Since there's no boiling in this cheese tortellini recipe, just check to make sure they're nice and tender and stick to your teeth when you bite into them.
Tomato sauce is a classic pairing with any pasta, and tortellini isn't the exception. You could also serve it with a garlic butter sauce or an Alfredo sauce and have similarly delicious results.
Yes, but you may want to drizzle your pasta with a little bit of olive oil so it doesn't get too dry.
💭 Other Helpful Tips
- Different brands of pasta sauce have different consistencies, so if you find yours is too thick don't be afraid to add a little water to thin it out. If it's too thin, it may thicken up in the cooking process, or if you really needed it thicker, you can stir in a cornstarch slurry.
- Frozen cheese tortellini is also a viable option, but be sure to add 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time to account for the difference.
- If using dried tortellini, it may be best to cook separately, then heat the sauce and add the tortellini.
A great recipe for a quick dinner or for easy meal prepping, this easy tortellini with zucchini is the perfect dish to reach for when you don't have much time or energy to cook but still want a hearty meal!
📖 Variations
- If you like your pasta on the spicier side, try adding up to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or more).
- Feel free to add more vegetables like onions, spinach, mushrooms, or tomatoes--sun dried or fire roasted are especially good.
- For even more flavor, add some dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, or smoked paprika, or other fresh herbs of your choosing.
- Stir in some cooked sausage or ground beef for even more protein. You can also use a meat sauce!
- For a really delicious meal experience, make this homemade Instant Pot Tomato Sauce to use.
🥗 What Can I Serve with Tortellini?
This cheese tortellini recipe pairs well with a wide variety of side dishes! Try it with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots, Garlic Butter Microwave Broccoli, a Kale Caesar Salad, or Easy Drop Biscuits.
🍝 More Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- Spicy Tortellini Skillet Dinner with Tomatoes - For fans of spicy food, you'll love this hearty and spicy dish!
- Chicken Pesto Pasta with Broccoli - Full of nutrients and so flavorful, this pesto pasta dish is great for weeknight meals.
- Easy Ground Turkey Pasta Broccoli Dinner - With your protein and veggie all in one place, this recipe makes for an entire dinner in one dish!
- Easy Homemade Lasagna - This recipe from Cupcakes and Kale Chips is the best classic lasagna you'll find!
One Skillet Cheese Tortellini Recipe
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
One Skillet Cheese Tortellini with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow zucchini
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce (2 jars)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
- ½ teaspoon oregano (optional)
- 20 ounces refrigerated tortellini (1 package)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Trim one end of the zucchini, then grate with a cheese grater.1 medium yellow zucchini
- Pour all of the spaghetti sauce into a large skillet, and add the grated zucchini and Parmesan cheese. Also add the optional herbs if you are using them.48 ounces spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon oregano
- Mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Mix in the tortellini, bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure it doesn't burn.20 ounces refrigerated tortellini
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, re-cover, and cook about 5 more minutes until the tortellini is tender and the cheese is melted.1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Notes
- Different brands of sauce can have different consistencies, so if your sauce appears too thick, you can add a little bit of water, up to ½ cup or so.
- Add about ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes in step 2 if you like a little spiciness with your pasta.
- You can use frozen tortellini. Don't thaw it, but add 15 - 20 minutes to the cook time.
- Dried tortellini can be used, however it is better to cook it as directed first until almost done, then add it into the sauce/zucchini mixture afterward. In that case, you only need to heat the entire mixture until it is hot, since the pasta is already mostly cooked.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in March 2016, but was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in February 2022.
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Happy cooking!
Chandice
Yum such a creamy dish and works great with my gluten-free tortellini too! Love how simple the directions were, thank you so much!
Kristin King
So glad you like this recipe! Thanks for stopping by!
Ann
I love how quick this dish is to make, not to mention it only requiring 5 ingredients! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal!
cyndy
This recipe saved me tonight because I forgot to pull anything out of the freezer for dinner. Had all of these ingredients on hand and viola! the perfect dinner! Delicious and easy - big hit with the family.
Sara
Such a great recipe! Love a one pan dish for busy week days and all 3 kids eat enjoyed!
Casey
My picky eater LOVED this! Picked out the zucchini of course but it's still a major win! This will be on our rotation for sure!
Sharon
I love how this cheese tortellini dish is made right in one pan. Perfect meal for busy weeknights.
Angela
What a great weeknight dish! This came together fast and my kids devoured it! Love that I could sneak some zucchini in there too. YUM!