Tortellini Pizza Pasta

I absolutely needed to make this recipe when I stumbled across it on The Country Cook's blog. I often get random tortellini or ravioli cravings - once every few months - and need to pick some up at the store and do something tasty with them. Ravioli Lasagna is my go-to favorite for ravioli! This may be my new go-to favorite for tortellini.

I often have the other non-tortellini ingredients already in the house. Pepperoni is hit or miss, but I happened to have a package because my daughter had been on a pepperoni pizza kick and we'd bought some to make homemade pizzas with not long ago. I decided pizza pasta was an excellent use for the rest of that package!

I love the combination of half of the tomatoes incorporated into the skillet and becoming a lovely fragrant sauce with the herbs and spices, and saving the remainder of the tomatoes to throw in at the very end so they retain their texture and add another layer of fresh tomato to the dish.

You can mix and match the veggies in this dish as well - I would really like to throw in some mushrooms and maybe olives next time.

Tortellini Pizza Pasta adapted from The Country Cook

Ingredients 
2 8-oz pkgs 3-cheese tortellini
2 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
4 small/medium tomatoes, diced, divided use
1 (6-oz) package sliced pepperoni cut into fourths
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more to garnish if desired

Directions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the tortellini. Add pasta when water comes to a boil and cook per package directions. When your pasta is done, drain and set aside while the remainder of the dish cooks.
2. Meanwhile, heat your olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and saute the onions for about 8-minutes until they are tender. Add in the garlic and half of the tomatoes, cook for another minute or two, until tomatoes are tender and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in the pepperoni and fry for a minute or two, then add all seasoning: basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir gently to combine. Add in the cooked pasta, remaining tomatoes, and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss mixture gently until evenly combined. Taste and add a touch of salt and pepper, or adjust seasonings if desired (I did not add salt and pepper to my dish).
4. Plate and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
5. Serve warm or chilled!