Happy September!!!!! We made it to my favorite month of the year!
This time last year, I kicked off my 10 days of fall dinners series, where I shared one fall-ish dinner recipe every day for ten days. It was a hit—plus I absolutely loved making the recipes—so we’re doing it again! Welcome back to 10 days of fall dinners.
For the next ten days I’ll be sharing a seasonal fall recipe over on Instagram, and every newsletter (Wednesday, Sunday, and Friday) will include the recipe of the day. At the end of the series, I’ll send a full recap so you have everything in one spot.
I know there’s quite a division between those who look forward to fall as soon as the -ber months hit and those who savor every second of the official summer season. I happen to fall into the first category and have been eagerly testing and filming fall recipes for the last month. But can you blame me?! It’s part of the job…
Instead of jumping right into the hearty, cozy fall recipes, we’re dipping our toes in with today’s autumn sheet pan tortellini with whipped honey ricotta. Yup, you heard that right. We’re cooking tortellini on our sheet pan. It’s easy, hearty, and brings some classic fall produce and seasonings back into the rotation.
Tortellini needs less water than you’d think!! The butternut squash it cooks next to releases enough moisture in the oven to steam it, plus you’ll get delicious crispy tops. Use fresh or frozen tortellini; either works! I tested with GF fresh tortellini, and gnocchi works too. If you love my sheet pan gnocchis, you’re going to love this!
And no eat goood sheet pan is complete without something saucy. Today’s recipe includes a whipped honey ricotta which is the base/saucy-ish element. It takes all of three minutes to whip up and instantly elevates your weeknight sheet pan.
autumn sheet pan tortellini with whipped honey ricotta
serves 4 | prep time: 15 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes
gluten-free, nut-free
kitchen tools
large sheet pan (or two small sheet pans)
1-tablespoon cookie scoop (optional)
spatula (I love a fish spatula for sheet pans)
INGREDIENTS
For the sheet pan tortellini
9 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini (I use gluten-free fresh tortellini)
2 heaping cups small-diced butternut squash* (about half a large squash, one small squash, or 12 ounces pre-chopped)
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 pound ground Italian sausage (spicy or sweet)
3 packed cups shredded curly or tuscan kale (about 5 ounces)
3 garlic cloves, minced
For the whipped honey ricotta
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons raw honey (additional for drizzling if desired)
zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), additional for topping if desired
kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a large sheet pan (if your sheet pan is not non-stick, line with parchment paper).
Add the tortellini, butternut squash, sage, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and black pepper to the sheet pan. Use a spatula or clean hands to mix, evenly distributing the components and coating everything in the oil and spices. Spread out in a single layer.
Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or clean hands, to divide the ground sausage into 18 to 20 evenly-sized balls. With lightly oiled hands, roll each meatball until smooth. Place on the sheet pan, nestled between pieces of squash and tortellini. Bake until the squash is fork tender and the sausage is just cooked, 15 to 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the whipped honey ricotta: Add the ricotta, 1 tablespoon of honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Process on high speed until smooth and light, 30 to 45 seconds. Taste and add the second tablespoon of honey if desired, plus additional salt to taste. Process again for 10 to 15 seconds. Set aside.
After the first bake, toss the tortellini, squash, and sausage on the sheet pan to mix and coat everything in the oil on the pan. Add the kale and garlic and toss again, ensuring the kale has been coated in oil. Spread out into a single layer (it’s okay if there is some overlapping) and continue baking until the squash and sausage are lightly browned on top and the kale is crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Note: This cooking method will give the tortellini a slight crisp; if you prefer a softer bite, cook according to package instructions separately, then add to the sheet pan either at serving, or bake for the final 5 minutes in the oven.
To serve, evenly divide the whipped ricotta between four plates, spooning and spreading it in a circle on each plate to cover the bottom. Divide the sheet pan components between the four plates, placing everything on top of the ricotta. Drizzle with additional honey and sprinkle additional red pepper flakes if desired.
STORE IT: Refrigerate the sheet pan components and whipped ricotta in separate sealed containers for up to 4 days.
REHEAT IT: Microwave until warm, 1 to 2 minutes, and serve with chilled whipped ricotta.
recipe notes
*Butternut squash: Ensure your squash pieces are no larger than 1/2-inch squares so they fully cook through when baked! If you buy pre-chopped, you will likely need to cut them into smaller pieces.
I recommend an extra large sheet pan for a loaded meal like this one to ensure your components aren’t overlapping too much and steaming rather than roasting. You can always split onto two smaller sheet pans. If you’re in the market for a sheet pan upgrade, use code JENNLUEKE for a discount on my favorite extra large pan. I also love this griddle pan for sheet pan meals.
Sausage: If you cannot find ground sausage, buy 12 to 16 ounces of sausage links (uncooked), and remove the meat from casings, then shape into meatballs.
This cooking method will give the tortellini a slight crisp; if you prefer a softer bite, cook according to package instructions separately.
swaps and subs
Totellini: Swap for frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi.
Butternut squash: Swap for sweet potato or delicata squash.
Italian sausage: Swap for chicken sausage or use sliced pre-cooked chicken sausage.
Vegetarian: Swap Italian sausage for plant-based sausage, or add one can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. Add the chickpeas for the final 10 to 12 minutes of baking.
Ricotta: Swap for dairy-free ricotta or cottage cheese.
Love today’s recipe? Let me know and share it with a friend!
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If you make today’s recipe, leave a comment or website review, and don’t forget to share pics in the chat. Can’t wait to continue sharing my fall dinners with you!
Tried this tonight…delicious! No one here likes kale so was a bit nervous but since it was chopped finely and mixed no one said a thing other then YUM! I pre cooked my tortellini for about 5 minutes before adding to the pan. From a fellow Jenn to another this was so so good! 🙌
This was SO good. My family raved about it!