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Meat Lovers Pizza Tortellini

Meat lovers pizza tortellini combines cheese tortellini in a rich marinara skillet sauce, loaded with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and mushrooms. Broiled mozzarella melts on top like a pizza for a bubbly, oven-finish pasta dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini base
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini Use refrigerated cheese tortellini for the best pizza-like bite.
Meat and veggie mix
  • 0.5 lb Italian sausage, casings removed Break up the sausage as it browns and drain excess fat to avoid greasy sauce.
  • 1 cup pepperoni slices Add with the mushrooms so they warm through without fully drying out.
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced Cook until softened for a saucy, pizza-topping texture.
  • 3 clove garlic cloves, minced Minced garlic goes in after mushrooms soften to prevent burning.
Pizza sauce and seasoning
  • 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce Marinara sauce creates the pizza-like red base for tossing.
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning Adds classic Italian pizza seasoning to the sauce.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes Adjust heat to taste if you prefer it milder.
Melty topping
  • 1.5 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Shred fresh for best melt; broil until bubbly and lightly browned.
  • 1 Fresh basil for garnish Scatter on at the end for fresh, aromatic finish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 oven broiler

Method
 

Cook tortellini
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the refrigerated cheese tortellini according to package directions until tender. Drain and set aside so it’s ready to toss in the skillet sauce.
Brown sausage and build the topping
  1. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and brown the Italian sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Continue until browned, then drain excess fat to keep the sauce from getting greasy.
  2. Add pepperoni and mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 3–4 minutes until the mushrooms soften. Stir to help the pepperoni warm through and start releasing flavor.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir constantly just until fragrant, not browned.
Simmer pizza sauce
  1. Pour in the marinara sauce, then stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes so flavors meld into a thick pizza-style sauce.
  2. Add the cooked tortellini and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Stir until the pasta is hot throughout.
Melt mozzarella like pizza
  1. Top the skillet with shredded mozzarella cheese in an even layer. Broil for 3–4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Remove from the broiler and garnish with fresh basil. Let it rest briefly before serving so the sauce clings to the tortellini.

Notes

Pro tip: Drain sausage well and simmer the marinara 5 minutes so the sauce thickens enough to coat the tortellini like pizza. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium until hot. Freezing is not ideal because tortellini can soften further after thawing. For a lighter option, swap half the mozzarella with part-skim shredded mozzarella to reduce calories while keeping a melty top.