One Pot Tortellini with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Easily customizable to fit your preferences, this One Pot Tortellini with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach is on the table in under 30 minutes. A complete dinner cooked in one pan – and perfect for make-ahead meal prep. It just doesn’t get much better!
As a full-time working mom with two little kids, there are very, very few things I love more than quick and easy dinner recipes. Especially ones the whole family will eat.
This one pot tortellini with sweet potatoes and spinach? It fits the bill perfectly.
Here’s what’s so great about this recipe:
- one pot (skillet, really) — easy to dump everything in, fewer dishes
- complete dinner all in one
- cooks in just 20 minutes
- works for make-ahead meal prep
- kid friendly (hello, tortellini and cheese)
- counts as healthy (sweet potatoes! spinach! peas!)
- easy to adapt (add in your favorite veggies or meat)
- mostly made from pantry staples
In a dinner rut? Tired of long, complicated recipes? No idea what to make for dinner tonight?
This one pot tortellini recipe is here to save the (week)day! It just might become your new favorite dinner.
And hey, even if you have kids like mine who decide by the day what they will and won’t eat, there’s enough going on in here that someone will find something.
My 4.5 year old decided he didn’t like the tortellini or want a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top ( seriously what kid doesn’t like tortellini and cheese?!) but he ate all the peas and white beans.
My 1.5 year old wouldn’t touch the spinach, but she devoured the tortellini, sweet potatoes, and peas.
And I happily ate everything, glad to have survived the stress of another weeknight dinner.
Cook Tortellini In the Sauce
One of the reasons this is such an easy and quick recipe is because we’re combining steps. We’re not boiling the tortellini and cooking everything else separately, then combining.
Instead, the tortellini cooks in the pan with everything else, absorbing the moisture and flavor from the sauce.
The first step is sauteing sweet potatoes until soft and creamy. Pour in some broth, spinach, and a (drained) can of small white beans, along with a splash of heavy cream.
Stir in the tortellini and cook, stirring frequently, until the tortellini are cooked through.
The tortellini absorb all the delicious flavors from the sauce and the end result is plump, flavorful tortellini with just enough creamy sauce left to pull everything together.
Let’s also talk about another benefit of cooking the tortellini right in the sauce: the starch! As the tortellini cook, the starches released from pasta thicken any remaining liquid, creating a creamy sauce coating the tortellini and sweet potatoes. How does this work? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
When pasta cooks, starches on the surface of the pasta mix with the cooking liquid. The starch molecules swell and expand, binding to the surrounding liquid. As the pasta continues to cook, the starch strands break free from the surface of the pasta and are able to convert more liquid into a gel-like consistency, absorbing even more water from the surrounding sauce.
Make sure to stir the tortellini frequently while they cook. This both helps prevent the tortellini from sticking to each other, and also ensures that the released starches are spread evenly throughout the dish.
Easy Make-Ahead Dinner
Is an under-30-minute meal still too much work for a weeknight? We can turn this into a make-ahead meal prep dinner.
I try to cook as much as I can on the weekends that we can eat all week long, and this recipe works great.
Want to make this a few days in advance? You can! Cook everything, let it cool, and refrigerate. Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you’re planning on making this in advance, I recommend undercooking the tortellini just a little, as they will continue to cook during reheating.
Not into prepping dinners ahead of time? You can still shave some time off by peeling and cubing the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance.
Add Sausage for Extra Protein
The base recipe I’m sharing here is vegetarian. It’s full of plenty of protein, thanks to the cheese tortellini and the white beans, and is delicious as is.
Buuuuut… if you’re the sausage-eating type, this is also delicious with crumbled sausage (or bacon!).
We like things a little spicy, so I often use hot Italian sausage. Mild works, too — or slice chicken sausage if you don’t eat pork. And of course, plant-based vegan sausage is also a perfect option to keep this a meatless tortellini dinner recipe!
To add in sausage, start by crumbling the sausage in a hot skillet and cook until no longer pink. Add the sweet potatoes and cook in the sausage fat – no need to add extra olive oil. Proceed with the recipe as written.
Tips and Tricks for The Best One Pot Tortellini
- Add in meat for extra protein, if desired, such as Italian sausage, bacon, chicken sausage, or shredded rotisserie chicken. If you are cooking the meat in the skillet, start by cooking the meat first, then saute the sweet potatoes and vegetables in the fat from the sausage or bacon, instead of adding the olive oil.
- Dried or fresh herbs can be used – and substitute in your favorites! Have fresh parsley, rosemary, and oregano on hand? Use them instead of the dried Italian herb mix. No fresh garlic or onion on hand? Use dehydrated garlic and onion powder.
- If you like things spicy, add more red pepper flakes (or eliminate if you don’t!). I find that 1/2 teaspoon is a good starting point, adding less if we use hot Italian sausage.
- Kale, chard, collared greens, or other leafy greens can be substituted for spinach – just add an extra splash of vegetable stock.
- This is a great make-ahead meal prep option! Cook everything according to directions, undercooking the tortellini just a little. Cool, then refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinners:
- Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs
- Mexican Couscous Bowl
- Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl
- Gnocchi Skillet with Tomatoes and Sausage
- All Dinner Recipes »
One Pot Tortellini with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Easily customizable to fit your preferences, this one pot tortellini with sweet potatoes and spinach is on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium-large sweet potato (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 (15-ounce) can small white beans, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen cheese tortellini
- Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom saute pan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add in the onion and garlic, sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until onion is translucent.
- Stir in the sweet potatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes start to soften.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Add in the spinach, stirring until the spinach has wilted. Add the white beans and frozen peas. Pour in the heavy cream and increase the heat to medium-high.
- Once the liquid has reached a simmer, stir in the tortellini. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the tortellini have absorbed most of the liquid and are cooked through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Scoop into bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Add in meat for extra protein, if desired, such as Italian sausage, bacon, chicken sausage, or shredded rotisserie chicken. If you are cooking the meat in the skillet, start by cooking the meat first, then saute the sweet potatoes and vegetables in the fat from the sausage or bacon, instead of adding the olive oil.
- Dried or fresh herbs can be used. Have fresh parsley, rosemary, and oregano on hand? Use them instead of the dried Italian herb mix. No fresh garlic or onion on hand? Use dehydrated garlic and onion powder.
- Kale, chard, collared greens, or other leafy greens can be substituted for the spinach – just add an extra splash of vegetable stock.
Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or warm in a saute pan over medium heat until heated through.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 12.5gCarbohydrates: 64.1gProtein: 19g
