Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake — Three-cheese tortellini baked with pasta sauce AND three more cheeses!! Cheese lovers will adore this easy baked tortellini casserole that’s ready in 30 minutes!!
Cheesiest Baked Tortellini Casserole
My refrigerator could be confused as a small cheese shop because at any given time I have at least 20 types of cheese.
Multiple different types of blue and brie, aged cheddar, white cheddar, extra sharp cheddar, gouda, gorgonzola, goat, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, swiss, and on it goes. And I can’t help myself from buying new kinds.
If you love cheese as much as I do, you’re going to love this very easy and extra cheesy tortellini pasta bake that’s ready in 30 minutes.
I boiled three-cheese tortellini (parmesan, pecorino, and ricotta) and as soon as they were done, I put them in a bowl with a big dollop of mascarpone cheese and let it melt. It seeps into the crevices of the tortellini and is so wonderful.
The mascarpone-coated tortellini are tossed with pasta sauce and topped with parmesan and mozzarella before being baked to golden, bubbly perfection.
Ingredients in Cheesy Tortellini Bake
To make this quick and easy recipe for baked tortellini, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Mascarpone cheese
- Pasta sauce (feel free to make homemade marinara, if desired)
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil and / or parsley (optional, for garnishing)
How to Make Baked Cheese Tortellini
The steps for this tortellini pasta bake are simple. Here’s an overview of the recipe:
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the mascarpone and stir until all of the mascarpone has melted and tortellini are evenly coated.
- Add the pasta sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Transfer tortellini and any sauce to an 8×8-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Evenly sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350ºF or until the cheese is melted and as lightly golden browned and bubbly as desired.
Recipe FAQs
If you’ve never worked with mascarpone cheese, sometimes called Italian cream cheese, it’s reminiscent of very well-softened American cream cheese, but it’s smoother, lighter, and more heavenly.
You could probably get away with using regular cream cheese in this baked tortellini casserole recipe, although I haven’t tried it.
Yes! You can use any flavor of tortellini that you’d like. I used 3 cheese, but any kind will work (so long as it’s the refrigerated type and not the dry tortellini found on the shelves!).
Yes! You can prep it up to 2 days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready. It makes a good-sized batch, which is great for planned leftovers. And the leftovers freeze well for busy nights when pulling something from the freezer is a lifesaver.
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Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake
Ingredients
- one-20 ounce package, 1 pound 4 ounces three-cheese tortellini (spinach, sausage, etc. tortellini may be substituted), cooked according to package directions
- ⅓ cup about 3 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temp
- 2 cups red pasta sauce, I used a basil-infused sauce
- 2 ounces about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 8 ounces about 2 cups mozzarella cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat-left parsley or fresh basil, finely minced for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain, transfer to a large bowl, add the mascarpone, and stir to encourage the mascarpone to melt. Stir until all mascarpone has melted and tortellini are evenly coated.
- Add the pasta sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Transfer tortellini and any sauce to an 8×8-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Evenly sprinkle the parmesan cheese.
- Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese. If desired, cover with foil and at this point you can refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking or bake now.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F, and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and as lightly golden browned and bubbly as desired.
- Prior to serving, optionally garnish with parsley or basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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great
It makes it really appetizing.
It makes it really appetizing.
It makes it really appetizing. I tried to do the same but unfortunately it doesn’t work out.
It makes it really appetizing.
I will try Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake in my free time. It seems very delicious. :)
Ohh wow looks so jummi :)
Is there a way to sub the mascarpone cheese cheese?
Haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure. Maybe cream cheese but honestly the mascarpone is really wonderful in this recipe and adds so much that I wouldn’t skip it.
One of my new favorite recipes! I couldn’t find mascarpone cheese in my food-barren college town, so I had to get creative and use a tiramisu trick to replace it. Cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream, mixed together and heated slightly. It curdles a bit but makes heavenly “cheater mascarpone” in a pinch. Definitely in support of more cheese-heavy recipes. I’m a bit of an addict myself, hahaha! c:
I love your cheater mascarpone! Wow, that’s impressive! In this recipe, because it’s not a fussy recipe that you need to be ultra precise, I bet a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese, whisked together, then added in, would have been just fine. But throw in some heavy cream and heat, and you’ve got a winner! Glad this is a new favorite for you!
Okay, I am not crazy but… I would love to live with you :D your meals are looking amazing. Also, you are cooking my favourite meals baked pasta, sweets, cakes, muffins. How do you stay in form? And baked pasta is my favourite! Can’t wait to try this one. May be tonight :)
I am in full support of ALL THE CHEESE. Keep those 20+ kinds of cheese coming.
This looks delicious!
This looks soon good! Especially now that it is getting colder – bring on the comfort food!!
New recipe up on my blog for an adult-take on rice krispie treats, perfect for halloween!
xoxo http://www.touchofcurl.com
What beautiful cheesy goodness!