Baked Tortellini with Meat Sauce
Crowd-pleasing baked tortellini with a meat and marinara sauce is a delicious cheesy casserole with major flavor in only 10 minutes of prep.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
- 24 ounces marinara sauce about 3 cups
- 18-20 ounces refrigerated tortellini uncooked, any variety
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Warm a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is softened and the beef mostly browned. Drain any excess fat.1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 medium yellow onion
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 6-8 cracks of pepper to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring well.2-3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
- Stir in the marinara sauce, uncooked tortellini, and a little more than half of the mozzarella. Top with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan.24 ounces marinara sauce, 18-20 ounces refrigerated tortellini, 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Cover tightly with foil, or a lid if your pan has a tight-fitting one. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil or lid. The cheese should be melted, the tortellini tender, the sauce bubbling. (Test a tortellini from the middle, not from the top, to be sure they're all fully tender.)
- To lightly brown the top, if desired, turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to be sure the top does not burn. Remove from the oven, let rest for 3-4 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with chopped parsley or basil. Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
- Want to add veggies? Add shredded carrots, zucchini, or bell pepper - cook with the ground beef mixture for 2-3 minutes. Or stir in baby spinach - add just prior to baking.
- No large skillet? Brown the meat in a smaller skillet, transfer it into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or casserole dish, then stir in the marinara, tortellini, and cheese. Cover and bake as directed.
- More Heat: For an added touch of flavor and heat, serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or pass these at the table for individuals to add to taste.
- To Halve: No special instructions, just cut all ingredient amounts in half then bake in a a small skillet or an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan instead of a larger rectangular pan. Or, my preferred option: make the full recipe, but in two smaller pans; save one in the freezer for a rainy day, or deliver it to a friend or neighbor.
- Make-Ahead Instructions:
- Prepare the sauce, combine everything in a casserole dish, including the final sprinkling of cheese, then cover tightly with foil.
- The dish can then be placed in the refrigerator overnight to bake the next day, or placed straight in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- If baking from the refrigerator, plan to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
- If tortellini was frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight if possible. I have not tried baking this directly from the freezer. It may work, but I would definitely recommend letting the frozen baking dish rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes prior to baking. Pyrex and some ceramic casserole dishes are vulnerable to cracking or even exploding when they encounter sudden and huge swings in temperature.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 493 kcal, Carbohydrates: 45 g, Protein: 37 g, Fat: 18 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 103 mg, Sodium: 1162 mg, Potassium: 649 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 706 IU, Vitamin C: 9 mg, Calcium: 314 mg, Iron: 5 mg