Simple homemade Baked Tortellini Casserole hits the spot when you are craving Italian food. Fresh tortellini with a rich red sauce and fresh mozzarella, do I need to say more? It’s so delicious you’ll want it again and again.

Weeknight meal planning at my house always includes a good casserole. One thing I know for sure is that my kids will eat pasta of any kind so it’s always on the menu. This Baked Penne Pasta Casserole is delicious and budget-friendly to boot.

baked tortellini casserole being served

I’m so happy you are here! I love sharing easy ideas to celebrate all the special things in life! Whenever you need a yummy recipe to share with friends or a creative activity please come visit me! I will keep you stocked with loads of entertaining and gift ideas.

Fresh pasta dishes are a staple of so many families for their wholesome goodness. In addition, they are a source of energy and protein. Just eating them can bring a smile to your face and belly!

Here’s What you Need to make Baked Tortellini Casserole

Canned goods and prepared tortellini give you a headstart on this baked tortellini pasta making this super easy recipe for comfort food!

Ingredients

  • olive oil
  • lean ground beef  (or Italian sausage)
  • one small onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 Tablespoon jarred chopped)
  • 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce
  • dried Italian seasoning
  • kosher salt
  • 24 oz package of fresh cheese tortellini (I have also used frozen)
  • 3 cups of freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

how to make Cheesy Baked Tortellini Casserole

Are you looking for a meal you can have ready within one hour that even picky eaters will love? If you are, this quick and easy-baked tortellini recipe is for you. Preps in under 30 minutes for baking, allowing you time to help the kids with homework while it bakes. That’s an easy dinner!

Before we begin the 20 minute prep, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Making the meat Sauce for Baked Tortellini

Something I routinely do when I cook is prep work. That means I chop and measure all ingredients, it saves so much time. So with that chop the onions, and garlic.

To start cooking, place a large skillet on medium-high heat. If you are using a ceramic skillet drop the temperature down to medium so it doesn’t get too hot.

Add the olive oil and chopped onion to the skillet. Cook the onion until it is soft. Then add the garlic cooking for about one more minute.

Be sure not to overcook the garlic because it will lose its savory taste and become bitter. Visually, it will be brown to dark brown when overcooked.

a non stick skillet with melted butter, onion, and garlic in it

Next, add the ground beef to the onion and garlic and brown.

raw ground beef added to the skillet with onion and garlic and butter

When the ground beef has been completely browned drain off any fat.

ground beef browning in a skillet with a slotted spoon stirring it

Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and mix well.

When adding the Italian seasoning to the sauce, first rub it between your hands. Then sprinkle it into the sauce. Crushing herbs allows the natural oils to be released adding more flavor to your dish.

Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. You will soon smell and taste how big of a difference this makes. Yum!!

tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning have been added to the ground beef in the skillet

Adding the Fresh Tortellini and Mozzarella

Once the sauce has been prepared add the uncooked fresh cheese tortellini. Stir the pasta into the sauce until well coated. Then stir in 1-1/2 cups of the grated mozzarella cheese.

Since the recipe uses fresh pasta, there’s no reason to boil it. The pasta sauce will cook the tortellini through. While the pasta cooks, it is absorbing the zesty marinara sauce and all its flavors.

Tip:

Frozen cheese tortellini can be used when fresh tortellini is not available. When this occurs, thaw the pasta by running it under warm water. Doing so makes frozen tortellini the perfect substitute for this tortellini casserole bake, as it will cook up in the casserole just like fresh.

cooked tortellini and mozzarella cheese have been added to the sauce mixture in the skillet

Stir in the mozzarella cheese until it is melted and coats pasta. The cheese will look stringy when mixed in. Is it time to eat yet?

the tortellini is being stirred into the meat sauce in the skillet

Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

It’s now time to bake the tortellini casserole. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly.

tortellini and meat sauce have been transferred to white casserole dish and covered with grated cheese

Wow, does this Baked Tortellini Casserole look divine? It doesn’t get much better than super cheesy pasta with a savory meat sauce! Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you like.

tortellini casserole has been baked until the cheese melted

With that, it’s time to feed my family. Go ahead print the recipe and give this Italian casserole dish a try. I hope your family will love how simple and delicious it is.

Looking for More Pasta Dinner Ideas

What else are you looking for in a pasta dish? Perhaps it’s one of these deliciously easy meals:

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baked tortellini casserole served on white plate with a fork taking a bite out of it

Baked Tortellini

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 Tablespoon jarred chopped)
  • 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 24 oz package of fresh cheese tortellini
  • 3 cups mozzarella cheese freshly grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large skillet, cook onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add ground beef and brown, drain any fat.
  • Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Then season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
  • Stir in uncooked, fresh tortellini and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
  • Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
  • Cover tightly with foil and baked at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 738mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 3mg
Servings: 10
Author: Cindy Hopper

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