I am lapping up every last drop of summer this week, which means spending lots of time outdoors. We have been plucking the most delicious end-of-summer veggies out of little container garden — the tomatoes are bountiful! And I’ve been scooping up sweet yellow squash and crisp green zucchini from our farm stand. To make the most of our ripe vegetables and our summer nights I have been using lots of shortcuts for speeding through making dinner. Less time in the kitchen = more time playing in the yard! One of my best shortcut tricks is using al fresco Chicken Nights Faster Sausage.
For quick and easy weeknight meals, I love to keep al fresco Chicken Nights Faster Sausage on hand in the fridge! It’s an easy, staple ingredient that I can toss into quick meals like this one! I love the Pasta Night Mild Italian Style sausage for adding lots of flavor to a dish; it really complements the fresh veggies and savory tortellini. The flavor is mild enough that it’s kid-friendly too — nothing saves time like not having to make a separate toddler meal! These sausages are individually packaged, which is great for our smaller-sized family. 
This recipe comes together very quickly, so you can be in and out of the kitchen in about 20 minutes! While the water is boiling and the tortellini quickly cooks, I get to work cooking thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash with summery tomatoes from the garden, and sliced al fresco Chicken Nights Faster Sausage. The sauce for this dish is just the butter that you sautè the ingredients in, fragrant garlic, and some of the juices that come from the burst tomatoes. A splash of white wine deglazes the pan before you toss in the tortellini to mix the dish together. 
I like to serve this with fresh basil leaves for a bright finish, and lots of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice (totally optional though, leave them on the side to let everyone determine their heat levels!). It’s a simple recipe that tastes so very good thanks to fresh ingredients and tasty shortcuts! My favorite part about this dish though, is that it reheats really well the next day for lunch — leftovers for the win! Get the full recipe below: 
- 1 lb of Cheese Tortellini
- 1 al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage, sliced
- 4 Tbsp. of Butter
- 1 Large Zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 Large Yellow Squash, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 2-3 Tbsp. of White Wine
- Salt and Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes, for garnish
- Fresh Basil, for garnish
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook tortellini as directed to al dente; drain and set aside.
- In a large saute pan, melt butter and add sliced sausage, zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Add garlic to the pan and saute for another 2-3 minutes; then add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Toss the tortellini in the saute pan until coated with the sausage and veggie mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh torn basil leaves.
Please note: This post was created in partnership with al fresco Chicken Sausage. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
