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Cheese tortellini and meatball marinara topped with melted mozzarella cheese with spoon taking helping out with cheese pulls coming off the spoon.

Skillet Tortellini Meatball Marinara

Erin Indahl-Fink
Looking for a quick and delicious tortellini and meatballs recipe? This easy skillet tortellini recipe is made with store-bought, refrigerated tortellini, and cooked in a simple meatball marinara. A fantastic weeknight dinner option when time is tight.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner/Main Dish
Cuisine Italian American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 378 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Skillet This Anolon Large 12" Skillet is ideal for one-pan meals!

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Begin defrosting the frozen meatballs in a large skillet. Add the frozen meatballs to a large skillet, and add 1/2 cup water. Heat over medium-high heat. The water will begin to simmer and defrost the meatballs. Heat for 6-8 minutes, turning the meatballs often. The water will evaporate off and the meatballs will being to brown. Turn the meatballs to brown on all sides for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Once the meatballs have browned and are completely heated through, add in the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian herbs and garlic salt. Stir together to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low and bring the sauce to a simmer. This will take approximate 3-4 minutes.
  • Once the sauce comes to a simmer, add in the refrigerated tortellini. (Note - since the refrigerated tortellini is already soft, you do not need to pre-cook. Adding the tortellini directly to the sauce will bring the tortellini to temperature without over cooking.) Simmer the tortellini in the sauce for 3-5 minutes.
  • Top the tortellini and meatballs with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Add a lid back to the skillet and let the cheese melt over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Note - the refrigerated tortellini does not need to be boiled prior to being added to the sauce. After testing we discovered that when the tortellini is boiled it quickly falls apart after being added to the sauce. The best results were when the refrigerated tortellini is warmed directly in the sauce. It heats through and holds its shape well.
If you are using dry or frozen tortellini - these will need to be boiled prior to being added to the sauce. Cook only until al dente (2 minutes shorter than the listed package cook times.)
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigertor. The leftovers will keep for up to 5 days refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 592mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
Keyword tortellini and meatballs, tortellini marinara, meatball marinara, cheese tortellini recipe, meatball marinara recipe
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