Cheesy Baked Tortellini
This Cheesy Baked Tortellini is hard to beat, if you're looking for a quick and easy yet totally scrumptious weeknight meal. Make it meatless, if you like.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 20 oz cheese tortellini, from package, frozen or refrigerated
- 26 oz tomato-based pasta sauce
- 28 oz diced tomatoes, with all juices
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese, not powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Cook ground beef with salt and pepper in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Continually stir and break up pieces until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease, and turn heat to low.
- Add red pasta sauce and diced tomatoes with juices to the pot. Add garlic, oregano, basil, onion powder, and sugar. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat.
- Spread one-third of the sauce mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9x11" casserole pan or similar sized baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen tortellini over the sauce. Sprinkle one-third of both the mozzarella and parmesan over the tortellini. Repeat layers. You should end with the last third of sauce on top, followed by the last third of cheeses.
- Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with oil, and lay the oil-side down loosely over casserole. Bake 40 minutes for frozen tortellini; 30 minutes for refrigerated ones. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes, or until cheese turns bubbly and golden.
Notes
- Use a large, heavy pot to cook the ground beef. This allows for even heat distribution and gives you plenty of space to add the sauce and other ingredients later.
- Don't forget to drain the excess grease after cooking the ground beef. This helps to reduce the grease.
- Starting with the sauce on the bottom of casserole dish ensures that the pasta cooks evenly and stays moist.
- Cover the casserole with lightly greased aluminum foil before baking. It will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil and also help the tortellini to cook through without drying out.
- Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes after baking. This allows the dish to set and makes it easier to serve.
- This casserole may be assembled the night before, covered tightly, and stored in the fridge. The frozen tortellini will become defrosted, so reduce the bake time to 30 minutes in this case.
- For substitutions and make-ahead suggestions, see original article.
- Serve with Rosemary Garlic Bread or these Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots and crisp green salad like our Chopped Greek Salad for a complete meal.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 456IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 583mg | Iron: 5mg