This easy cheesy baked tortellini is a dream weeknight dinner. Simply combine store-bought tortellini, your sauce ingredients and plenty of cheese and bake in the oven until bubbling and delicious.
This recipe is the perfect thing to make when you’re craving something comforting and delicious in minimal time. The pasta cooks right in the oven with the sauce and cheese so prep time takes a matter of minutes.
In this pasta bake we’ve got two types of cheese, a tortellini of your choice and a quick blended tomato sauce which bubbles away in the oven to become amazingly flavorful.
Speaking of the sauce for this recipe, I was inspired by this one pot tomato pasta bake because there’s nothing better than a recipe where everything cooks together in the same pot. And if you’re looking for another use for ready made tortellini (one of THE BEST shortcut ingredients) then try this tortellini soup…delish!
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Baked Tortellini Ingredients
When I was coming up with this recipe I was keen to keep everything as simple as possible while ensuring maximum flavour. To do this I went with plenty of cheese, some dried herbs and an extra hit of flavour with the sun dried tomatoes.
- Refrigerated Tortellini - choose whichever filling you prefer!
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Tomato Puree
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Mascarpone
- Mozzarella
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Put the tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs, sun dried tomatoes and half the mascarpone in a blender and blitz until smooth.
Put the uncooked tortellini in a baking dish.
Add the sauce to the tortellini in the baking dish.
Mix the pasta and sauce well.
Tear the mozzarella over the tortellini and sauce.
Finish by topping the pasta with scoops of mascarpone then cover and put in the oven.
Hint: If you can only find frozen tortellini then just defrost in the fridge until ready to use.
Substitutions
- Herbs - try substituting different dried or fresh herbs according to your preference. Fresh basil or a dried Italian herb blend would both work well
- Pasta Sauce - if you’re really short on time you can swap out the sauce ingredients for a ready made pasta sauce. I’d make sure to still include the mascarpone though, just to make it extra creamy!
- Cheese - I use mozzarella and mascarpone here but you can definitely switch out for other options. Instead of mascarpone you could use regular cream cheese and instead of mozzarella try topping with shredded cheddar or provolone
Variations
- Spicy - you can’t go wrong by adding a hearty sprinkle of chilli flakes or a whole fresh chilli to the sauce before blending
- Make it Meaty - if you’re missing the meat then try stirring through some pre-cooked shredded chicken or topping with crispy fried and chopped bacon before baking
- Top up the Veggies - you’ve got loads of options for vegetables here but I’d recommend some chopped spinach or kale stirred through before baking
- Deluxe Extras - something I love about this recipe is the opportunity for a fridge raid. Some sliced olives, a few scoopfuls of capers, some sliced up roasted red peppers or a sprinkling of breadcrumbs would all add something extra special to this meal
If you’re still in need of more pasta goodness then check out this pesto pasta bake or miso pasta recipe!
Storage
You can put together this tortellini bake ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
Once cooked you can store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.
You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Just defrost thoroughly and reheat in the microwave or oven.
Top tip
Don’t skip the browning step at the end of baking, you want that cheese super bubbly and browned before serving for maximum flavour and texture!
FAQ
No! For this recipe you don't need to cook the tortellini before adding it the baking dish with the sauce which makes it the perfect easy meal.
This is a filling meal by itself but if you want to add a little extra to the meal you can't go wrong with a salad, some roasted broccoli or a little garlic bread.
Yes, you can freeze this recipe for later. Allow the dish to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. When you're ready to eat it, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the oven or microwave until heated through.
This recipe can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container.
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. However, it's best to wait to add the cheese topping until just before baking.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with baked tortellini:
Recipe
Baked Tortellini
Ingredients
- 2 14oz/400g tins Chopped Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 5 Sun Dried Tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 600 g/1⅓ lbs Tortellini
- 250 g/9oz Mascarpone
- 150 g/5oz Mozzarella
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Put the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and half the mascarpone in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Put the tortellini in a baking dish and pour over the tomato mixture. Mix well.
- Dot over small spoonfuls of the mascarpone across the top of the pasta. Tear over the mozzarella. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 25 minutes then remove the lid and cook for another 10 minutes until the cheese has browned.
Notes
Like the look of this recipe? Make sure you pin it for later!
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