At our household, Trader Joe’s tortellini is a must-have! With numerous flavors available, we opted for the spinach type for this particular recipe. Additionally, the 4 cheese tortellini from Trader Joe’s is also worth a try. Our recipe features chicken sausage, two types of tomatoes, and asparagus. Thanks to the speedy cooking time of Trader Joe’s tortellini, this dish can be whipped up in no time!
Ingredients you will need to make this:
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Trader Joes Spicy Italian sausage
- White wine
- Roasted tomatoes
- Butter
- Asparagus
- Red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Trader Joe’s Tortellini
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pecorino Romano
What size asparagus is the most tender?
For years I used to beg Bruce to select the smaller asparagus when we shopped at the grocery store. I felt that smaller meant that it would be more tender. Bruce never agreed with me. Well, turns out that Bruce is right. (He is most of the time) To harvest asparagus, it takes 3 years to grow. A young asparagus plant is putting more of its energy into producing spears that will stand upright, so most of the plant material in the spears of younger asparagus plants is actually crude fiber.
Read more about asparagus from Peter Ferretti, professor of vegetable crops at Penn State, here: The Skinny On Asparagus Is That Thicker Means More Tender
Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini is known for its high-quality ingredients, including a filling made with a blend of creamy ricotta, tangy Parmesan, and nutty Romano cheeses. The pasta itself is made from durum wheat semolina, which gives it a firm texture and a satisfying bite.
Additionally, Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini is quick and easy to prepare, making it a convenient meal option for busy weeknights. You can simply boil the tortellini for a few minutes, then toss it with your favorite sauce or seasoning.
Finally, many people appreciate the value that Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini offers. It is priced affordably, making it a budget-friendly option for feeding a family or hosting a dinner party.
So if you enjoy flavorful, convenient, and affordable pasta dishes, there’s a good chance you may like Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini.
Equipment
- pot
- pasta spoon
Ingredients
- 1 shallot
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
- 3 Trader Joes Spicy Italian pre-cooked chicken sausages
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup roasted tomatoes
- ½ stick of butter
- 1 bunch asparagus
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground pepper
- 10 ounce package of Spinach Tortellini
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half we used multi color
- 1 Tablespoon Pecorino Romano
Instructions
Prep ingredients:
- Put pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
- Peel and chop shallot into small dice. Shred garlic. Cube butter by slicing in half, and then small cubes. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Slice roasted tomatoes into bite size slices. Cut asparagus on the bias (diagonally) into 1 inch pieces, throwing out the tough ends. Slice the chicken sausage.
Brown the sausage:
- In a hot pan, add the sliced chicken sausage. Stir to distribute evenly in pan. Fry a few minutes on one side. Toss or stir to brown the other side. The chicken sausage is already cooked, so you are just looking for the pieces to be browned on each side. Remove chicken sausage from pan, and place in a dish, and cover with foil.
Prepare the pasta sauce:
- To the same pan you browned the chicken sausage in, add a bit of olive oil, and the shallots. Stir to cook. You are looking for the shallots to sweat a little, and not brown. Add in the garlic, and stir, watching to make sure garlic does not burn. Add in the white wine. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Allow to reduce for about 5 minutes or so. Add in the oven roasted tomatoes and black pepper and stir.
Finish the Pasta:
- Drop the pasta into boiling water to cook, following directions for time. About 1 minute before tortellini is done, add the asparagus to the sauce, along with half the butter. Toss the sauce to slightly cook the asparagus.
- Now add in the chicken sausage and cherry tomatoes. Add in the drained tortellini to the sauce and the remaining butter. Toss or stir to melt butter into sauce.
- Serve pasta in dishes with pecorino Romano shredded over the top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More pasta recipes to try!
Dana
The flavors in this are awesome! And it’s filling without weighing you down, which is great.
Caroline
I love that this uses a few shortcuts to speed things up but is also packed with tasty veggies. Colorful and tasty!
Ieva
Lovely recipe! Equally vibrant in colours and flavours – will definitely make it again soon!
Kim
I really love Trader Joe’s Tortellini – and I’ve had it with sausage before, but never chicken sausage and asparagus. This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!