The perfect one pot camping dinner for summer that combines fresh zucchini, sausage, tortellini, fresh pesto, tomatoes and mozzarella.
One pot meals are the perfect dinner for family camping trips. They cook in less than 30 minutes and will feed your entire camping crew with only one pot to clean!
This one pot dinner combines all the fresh flavors of summer like pesto and zucchini, but flavors can be adjusted based on the chicken sausage and tortellini variations you choose.
Looking for more one pot camping meals? I pulled together over 25 of my favorite recipes!
How to Cook One Pot Tortellini Dinner
A propane stove works perfectly to cook up a one pot meal, you just want to be sure you have a large enough pot or pan to hold all of the ingredients. This recipe needs a 2.5 quart pot or larger. (I used a 2.5 quart pot and it had just enough space in it to make this one pot camping dinner.)
I also prefer to use a heavy bottomed pot to avoid scorching. A cast iron pan would also work on a propane stove (or over the campfire) because it retains and distributes the heat.
You can also use a cast iron dutch oven to cook this recipe over campfire coals. Follow the same directions, but it will take a little longer to sauté the vegetables and get the liquid up to a boil.
Pre-Camping Prep Ideas
You can dice the onions and zucchinis and mince the garlic (just cover it in a little olive oil) before your trip. Store it in the fridge and cooler until you’re ready to make dinner.
a note from Jenny
Adjust the spice in this recipe by changing the amount of red pepper flakes. Chicken sausages can also have spice to them, so if you’re cooking for kids, grab a mild flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Tortellini: This recipe uses refrigerated tortellini because it cooks so quickly, which is important so the zucchini doesn’t overcook and turn to mush in the liquid. If you can’t find refrigerated tortellini, use frozen, which only takes about two more minutes to cook. I do not recommend using dried tortellini in this recipe.
- Chicken Sausage: Caprese flavored chicken sausages work well in this dish, but you can definitely use a different flavor. Since my kids don’t like the caprese ones, I use garlic and gouda flavor.
- Diced Vegetables: Dice the zucchini and onions and cut the tomatoes in half before your trip to save time while you’re camping.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth gives the dish a little extra flavor, but in a pinch you can use water.
- Pesto: Make your own homemade pesto or pack a premade jar.
- Mozzarella Pearls: If you don’t have pearls, you can always use shredded mozzarella instead.
Although my kids like this recipe, they LOVE One Pot Beef Stroganoff while we’re camping.
Step by Step Directions
In this section you’ll find a step by step tutorial of how to make this recipe with photos. The full recipe with exact measurements, steps and a printable card can be found at the bottom of the post.
Scroll through the step by step images ->
1. Sauté vegetables
Heat olive oil in a 2.5 quart pot (or larger). Add zucchini, onion, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until the zucchini has browned a bit. (Stir only once or twice to allow the zucchini to brown.) Add garlic and diced chicken sausage and cook for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2. Cook the tortellini
Add chicken broth to the pot and bring it to a boil. Add tortellini, stir to combine and cover as much as the tortellini with broth as possible. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the pasta is tender. Remove from heat.
3. Add in finishing touches
Stir in pesto and lemon juice. Add cherry tomato halves and Mozzarella pearls and gently fold into the dish. Top with parmesan cheese to serve.
Zucchini Pesto Tortellini One Pot Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 small zucchini (or one medium/large), diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 chicken sausages
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz. refrigerated tortellini
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup Mozzarella pearls (about 5 oz.)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a 2.5 quart sauce pot (or larger), heat olive oil and add zucchini, onion, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until the zucchini browns a bit, about 10 minutes. Try to avoid stirring the mixture more than once or twice, so the zucchini is able to brown.
- Add garlic and diced chicken sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add tortellini, stir to cover as much of the tortellini with the liquid as possible. Lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for about 4 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the pesto and juice from half of a lemon. Add the tomatoes and Mozzarella pearls and gently stir to combine.
- Serve by topping with parmesan cheese.