Picture this: it’s dinnertime, and I’m looking for something quick and tasty. That’s when I remember my go-to: a Cheesy Tortellini Bake. It’s a lifesaver, especially when I need to please everyone at the table.
It’s super simple, and even the pickiest eaters in my house love it. It’s a hearty and comforting pasta dish that’s saucy, meaty, and loaded with cheese. Perfect for a busy weeknight, you just need a few minutes and an oven.
I use a store-bought pasta sauce for convenience, but homemade marinara works great if you have the time. The main star is the refrigerated, uncooked cheese tortellini, which I top with lots of mozzarella and some parmesan, though asiago or romano are great too. This bake is a real crowd-pleaser and makes my life lot easier.
Don’t you agree, there’s just something about baked pasta dishes. They’re kind of the ultimate comfort food. My Ground Turkey Bake, Tortellini al Forno, are sure super hits.
Todays Tortellini Bake is more tomatoey and meaty. It’s more like our ever popular Johnny Marzetti, or the viral TikTok Spaghetti, but with tortellini!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground beef – I love making this pasta casserole meaty, but you can totally go meatless if you prefer. When I’m feeling like mixing it up, I’ll swap out the ground beef for ground pork, or for something lighter, ground chicken or turkey. And you know what? Adding some Italian sausage to the mix is always a winner too. It’s all about making it your own and enjoying every bite!
- Seasonings – Fresh garlic and dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, red chili flakes, salt and pepper. If you have some fresh herbs, feel free to use 1 tablespoon of fresh in place of 1 teaspoon of dried.
- Pasta sauce – Any of your favorite store bought brands will do for this quick meal. Or, if you really want to go all out, you can make some homemade marinara.
- Cheese tortellini – Refrigerated, uncooked.
- Cheese – Mozzarella and parmesan. You can substitute the parm for asiago or romano for a little different flavors.
How to Make This Tortellini Bake
I always make sure to use a skillet big enough to fit everything. I usually go for a 12-inch one, but it can get pretty full, so if you have a 13 or 14 inch skillet, that’s even better.
First, I heat up the skillet and brown the ground beef until there’s no pink left. Then, I add in the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until it starts to soften up. This step really brings out the flavors and sets the base for the rest of the dish.
Time to stir in pasta sauce, herbs and 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, then stir in tortellini.
I sprinkle cheese on top of everything, cover it with foil, and pop it in a preheated oven for around 20 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
If I want to add a bit of color to the dish, I take off the foil and broil it for a few minutes. This gives it a nice golden finish and makes it look even more appetizing.
Can I Use Frozen Tortellini?
Yes, you can use frozen, or for that matter dried. However, the process will be slightly different.
First, cook the tortellini al dente, according to the directions on the package.
After assembling the casserole, reduce baking time to 15 minutes, to avoid overcooking the tortellini.
What to Serve With It
My first choice would be a nice fresh salad. Our Avocado Tomato Pesto Salad would go great. Or for something simpler, our Spanish Pipirrana Salad.
Crusty bread is always a winner with pasta. My No Knead Bread is perfect with this dish.
If you’re serving a larger crowd, try Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Or, if you have some great summer cherry tomatoes, Cherry Tomato Confit or Cherry Tomato Gratin would both look gorgeous on your spread.
The next time you see some tortellini in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, don’t pass them by. Think about this hearty and comforting pasta bake, which your whole family is going to love.
Sometimes, great food doesn’t need to be complicated. Take it easy on yourself, you’re still going to get rave reviews for this one…
Cheesy Tortellini Bake, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great pasta recipes!
Mediterranean Pasta
Creamy Sausage Pasta
Gigi Hadid Pasta
Rasta Pasta
Pasta e Piselli
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Orecchiette Pasta
Pastalaya
Cheesy Tortellini Bake
This Tortellini Bake is an easy, one-skillet, dinner loaded with meat, sauce and melty cheese that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1lb ground beef
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 24oz pasta sauce
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1.5 cups water
- 22oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Heat olive oil in a 12-14 inch oven safe skillet over medium high heat.
- Add ground beef and brown until no pink remains, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Add in garlic and cook for a minute or two.
- Stir in pasta sauce, water, and all herbs. Bring to a simmer, then stir in tortellini and mix till everything is well combined. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake about 20 minutes, or till tortellini is cooked.
- If desired, remove foil at the end and broil a few minutes to brown up cheese.
Notes
- Leftovers: This tortellini bake is great as leftovers. You can cover your casserole tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop with an extra splash of water. It also freezes well, so makes a great meal prep option. I like to break leftovers into individual portions, wrap in cling wrap, put the wrapped portions into zip top bags, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 538Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 101mgSodium 1065mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 33g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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