This Cheesy Baked Tortellini is a one-dish-wonder. Easy to throw together with pantry ingredients and leftovers are great, too! It’s a hearty and satisfying meal that’s easy enough for a weeknight but fancy enough for company! We love the leftovers at our house for quick lunches as well.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Sauce
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Grape or cherry tomatoes – Any small tomato variety/color will work here.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Canned crushed tomatoes
- Granulated sugar
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Baking soda – Just a pinch! This helps neutralize the acid in the tomatoes.
Additional Ingredients
- Refrigerated tortellini – I like something with sausage or chicken inside, but any flavor will work! You can find fresh pasta products in the refrigerated section near your store’s deli.
- Mozzarella cheese – Freshly grated to ensure a smooth melt.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated.
How to Make Cheesy Baked Tortellini
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, slice the tomatoes in half. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (if possible). Add tomatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to burst.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients: crushed tomatoes, sugar, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and baking soda. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat.
- Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Remove the sauce from heat. Drain the tortellini and transfer to the sauce pot or use a slotted spoon to remove the tortellini from the water and add to the sauce. Stir gently to combine, then top with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can either transfer the tortellini and sauce to a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake, or simply put the lid back on your skillet, leave the heat on low, and melt the cheese on the stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! Prep the tortellini through mixing with the sauce and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a baking dish if desired, cover tightly with foil, and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Grate and store your cheese in a separate container in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and place the pan, still covered with foil, in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil, top with cheese, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Yep! Leftovers will freeze nicely. If you’re planning to freeze portions from the beginning, I’d add the cheese after reheating, personally. Make the tortellini through mixing with the sauce. Allow to cool and portion into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. when ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in the microwave and top with cheese if desired.
Sure, just make sure your pan is big enough!
Baked Cheesy Tortellini
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 6-8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Pinch baking soda to neutralize the acid
Additional Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated tortellini something with sausage or chicken and cheese works great in this recipe, but your favorite variety will work!
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While the water is heating, heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (if possible.) Add tomatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to burst.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Remove the sauce from heat. Drain the tortellini and transfer to the sauce pot or use a slotted spoon to remove the tortellini from the water and add to the sauce. Stir gently to combine, then top with the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can either transfer the tortellini and sauce to a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake, or simply put the lid back on your skillet, leave the heat on low, and melt the cheese on the stovetop.
Questions & Reviews
Looks amazing and something everyone would eat at our house! What size is the pan you used? Would love to start getting enamel Dutch oven cookware, but trying to decide which size would be best to start with.
I love the 12″ pans. This is the 3 quart lodge casserole–probably my favorite!!
Looks yummy and kid friendly! Win win!
Baked pasta rules. I wish that was in my mouth right now.
My family will love this recipe! Thank you!
Any recipe with the word “cheesy” on it is a winner in my book, messy or not! 🙂
sounds delish!! I am definitely trying this one! thanks
This sounds delicious. I just bought tortellini to make something else, but I think I’ll try this one instead.
This may be a “messipe” in the fact that it makes for a messy pan at the end, but I LOVE recipes that end with putting a one dish meal into the oven to cook for a bit so you have time to clean up all of the prep dishes before you sit down to eat. It’s so nice to have clean up consist of putting the dinnerware in the dishwasher and putting one pot in the sink to soak 🙂
Thanks for sharing another delicious recipe – and for the cleaning tips!
Looks like a kid-pleaser!