Description
This Baked Tortellini Casserole is a hearty and comforting Italian-inspired dish featuring fresh cheese tortellini baked in a savory homemade meat sauce with mozzarella cheese. It’s a perfect, easy-to-make family meal that combines tender pasta, rich tomato flavor, and melted cheese baked to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef (97/3)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand)
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pasta and Cheese
- 24 oz package fresh cheese tortellini
- 3 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until they become soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Brown the Ground Beef: Add the lean ground beef to the skillet with onions and garlic. Cook thoroughly, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no longer pink and fully browned.
- Add Tomato Sauces and Seasonings: Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce into the browned beef mixture. Season with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Stir well to combine the flavors.
- Combine with Tortellini and Cheese: Add the uncooked fresh cheese tortellini directly into the sauce mixture in the skillet. Also, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the grated mozzarella cheese to blend everything together.
- Transfer and Top: Pour the entire mixture into a casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Bake Covered: Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil to prevent drying out. Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, or until the casserole is hot, bubbly, and the cheese has melted beautifully.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let it cool slightly before serving warm. Enjoy your cheesy, comforting baked tortellini casserole!
Notes
- This baked tortellini casserole is a quick and cheesy dish that uses fresh tortellini for a tender pasta texture combined with a rich meat sauce.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner variant.
- Fresh tortellini is preferred to avoid pre-cooking pasta before baking, but frozen tortellini can be used with a slightly increased bake time.
- Covering the casserole helps retain moisture and enhances the melting of cheese.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 569
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1386 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 102 mg
