This 4 ingredient dinner of tortellini with chicken sausage and pesto is perfect for a quick family meal that everyone is sure to love (did I mention quick? This meal is ready in 20 minutes, all prep included!)
Five Ingredient Fridays (or simple cooking and making delicious meals with not a ton of ingredients) doesn’t stop when I’m on vacation. Case in point, this tortellini with chicken sausage and pesto dish. A few months ago, right before my husband and I went on a road trip along the coast of Oregon, we were on weekend trip with my parents in Weed, California to attend my cousins wedding.
Weed, CA and the surrounding areas are beautiful. From the top left: views of Mount Shasta, views from hiking along the McCloud River’s Three Falls trail, my parents, a picture of my hubby and I and another waterfall along the three falls trails (we saw all three of them!) and then on the lower right is a picture taken at the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden (the garden was truly beautiful and moving.)
While we were in California we rented a cabin which had a little kitchen and were having a potluck style lunch with some other family members coming over. We needed a quick, warm meal that everyone would enjoy – and what’s more comforting than delicious pasta filled with cheese? So I used fresh three cheese tortellini, and then got a chicken sausage that had roasted garlic and gruyere cheese in it (any sausage would work great) and then topped the dish with a pesto sauce. The pesto was absolutely delicious, it reminded me of when I made lemon basil pesto!
The meal was a success, and this is one dish that I make whenever I’m looking for an easy meal that takes less than 20 minutes. Below is a picture of our lunch spread (the other pasta salad I’m going to be sharing a recipe for soon.)
Do you cook on vacation? I’d love to know what you make!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 package chicken sausage 4-5 links (I used chicken sausage with garlic and Gruyere cheese, 12oz)
- 1 package fresh cheese tortellini we got a family size one - 28 oz.
- 1 cup pesto sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan, then cut up chicken sausage and put it in the pan stirring ocassionally until sausage starts to brown (about 10 minutes, then set aside.)
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions and strain and return pasta to the pot and set aside. Add in the sausage and pesto and stir. Serve or transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!
Lynn Lovejoy says
I love this recipe girl! Absolutely delicious flavors and EASY! You know I love some easy recipes! Will definitely be adding this one to the rotation!
Sweetphi says
I’m all about easy recipes these days, I think you and your hubby would love this one!
Ashley says
Four of my favorite ingredients! I mean, I know I would happily eat a huge bowl of this! We do cook on vacation – well as long as we’re at a house or cabin! I try to do lots of simple simple simple meals! haha
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much girl! And I am the same way – as long as I’m in a house or cabin I love cooking simple things on vacation – it’s always fun trying to improvise with what utensils one has in a foreign kitchen, right?
Little Cooking Tips says
First of all, the recipe is super easy, quick and absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
Being devoted pasta fans ourselves we can’t wait to try it:)
The pictures of both the dishes and the scenery are amazing! And yes, again, you guys look so good together! California is FANTASTIC, the place you went to is vastly different from what we’ve seen so far (through the Internet/movies/tv). A wonderful mountain place, just like some Oregon/Colorado scenes we sometimes see in older Westerns:)
We hope one day we’ll be able to visit those places (sigh):)
Have a great day guys!
Panos and Mirella
xoxoxo
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much Panos and Mirella, this quick and easy pasta dish is perfect for a quick meal when one doesn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen! And CA is definitely beautiful, a huge state with diverse landscapes 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
First of all, I have never heard of Weed, Cali but it looks absolutely beautiful! So thank you for introducing me to some place new! Secondly, this tortellini sounds scrumptious! Totally digging that it’s only 4 ingredients AND can be made faster than I can walk my dog! 😉 LOVES.it! Oh, and you asked what I make on vacay? Answer: nothing… hand me the room service menu. Lol #Lazy. Cheers and thanks for sharing the YUM!
Sweetphi says
Weed California was definitely beautiful, I never would have known about it if it weren’t for my cousins wedding! I totally love this as a quick dinner, even when not on vacation 🙂 And totally LOL’d about the room service, priceless answer to my question right there 🙂
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says
What a comforting dish!
Sweetphi says
Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods 🙂
amanda says
I love this, so quick and easy!!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much! Quick and easy recipes are my favorite – especially during the crazy busy week or when cooking on vacation 🙂
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
Yum! This tortellini looks divine, Phi! I love pasta with pesto, easy to make and great comfort food!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much! This is totally one of my favorite easy-to-make comfort dishes while on vacation 🙂
andrea Rentea says
Amazing and delicious salad. The nature photos are incredibly fantastic. Thank you so much!!!
Sweetphi says
This is one of my favorite quick meals to make on vacation, thank you for the lovely comment 🙂
Shawnna says
Oh yummy!! This would be amazing!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much, what makes this dish so amazing is that it is suuuper easy to make and one can totally add some veggies or other ingredients that one may have on hand 🙂
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
Vacation cooking should always be no muss no fuss. Love what you did here!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much! I’m totally all about little fuss but big flavors on vacation 🙂
Jamie | The Kitchenarium says
How great is this?! I love quick cooking options for busy nights.
Sweetphi says
Quick cooking is definitely one of my favorites, especially on busy nights or on vacations 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I think that if you have pesto and pasta, then you always have a quick and easy meal, as you can add whatever else that you have in your fridge 🙂
Sweetphi says
That is the beauty of dishes with pesto – they’re so customizable to whatever you have on hand. When I’m not on vacation, I always throw veggies in with this dish 🙂