In a perfect world, I would eat pasta with marinara sauce at least 3-4 times a week. Other than sprinkling in some sushi or some tacos here and there, I am not sure I would ever get sick of it.

Being from Michigan, it obviously can get very cold during the winter. This is going to sound ironic…but I HATE cold weather. I thrive off beach days, boat days, and hanging out by the lake. Luckily, Michigan has the best summers and the best lakes around (I am not biased. It is a fact). Sooo while I suffer half the year, my family is here and the best summers are here.

Check out my other Italian Recipes here 🙂

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What gets me through those winter months are the cozy recipes and red wine. Pasta is obviously high on the list of those recipes. Another is casseroles. Throwing everything together in an easy, warm dish for a weeknight is the epitome of winter nights in the north.

Since it gets dark at 5 pm, for me, it feels like bedtime is near. It’s hard to bring yourself to drive home and make a multi-step dish when it feels like nighttime. This tortellini casserole dish is just fancy enough to feel like you tried, but is a super simple weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.

Check out my other casserole recipes here 🙂

For this recipe you will need pre-made tortellini, marinara, diced onion, diced green pepper, mild Italian sausage, and a blend of Italian cheeses. When I was gathering all the ingredients for the picture above, I swore I was missing something, since there were so few ingredients. Other than spices and minced garlic that are common ingredients to have on-hand, I wasn’t! It is that good with so few ingredients. Which during the holiday season, is great for the budget.

I started off with boiling water for the tortellini. This can be made according to the instructions on the package.

While the tortellini is cooking, start with heating up a pan on medium heat with oil. Add the minced garlic and let simmer. There is nothing better than the smell of minced garlic simmering in olive oil. It signifies that there is about to be a warm, yummy meal.

After 1-2 minutes, add the diced onions. Unfortunately, I was being extra lazy when I got the ingredients and did a Kroger pickup. I chose white diced onions…because who wants to actually chop up their own onions…right? Well, they were out of white and substituted it with red diced onions. I was not about to go in the store for one white onion, so I made it work. I honestly, could not tell the difference, so if you have red in your fridge, use it!

Check out my Mexican Fiesta Casserole here! 🙂

Once the onions start to brown, add in the diced green pepper. I try and make them as finely chopped as I can as they are being added for flavor and not texture in this recipe. I let this simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Brown and soft is what you are aiming for. These ingredients will be a compliment to the marinara sauce.

Next, add in the Italian sausage. I chose mild, as the people I was cooking for are not spicy fans, but a spicier sausage would probably be delicious as well. Chop up the sausage of your choosing into small pieces. I saw someone use a “meat chopper” kitchen utensil for this and although so simple, it makes things so much easier. Click this link to see which one I bought on Amazon and recommend.

After mixing in the sauce, this is where I added the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. I let this simmer for a minute or two after mixing.

Now is the time to add everything to the casserole dish. Mix thoroughly and top with cheese. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Top with parsley for garnish and serve immediately.