tortellini with sausage and marscapone

 A simple yet delicious recipe from What's Gaby Cooking that the entire family enjoyed-- no leftovers! The only requested change is that I dice the shallot versus slicing. 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups of your favorite red sauce (I used Rao's)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 9-ounce package refrigerated tortellini (I used Taste Republic GF)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

1. Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a skillet. Cook it over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it's browned. Drain most of the fat and leave the sausage in the pan.
2. Add the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes to the same pan and saute for 60 seconds. Add the red sauce, cream, and mascarpone. Cook for 5-7 minutes until saucy.
3. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Save ¼ cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce along with the drained pasta. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve with fresh parmesan sprinkled over top.