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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I have made these a few times now, and Tom likes them as well. There are 2 of us so they might last a week. Making more tomorrow.
Wow, I love cheese as much as you do . These look so delicious. I love the cheese, but it makes me fat.
30 different cheeses? Dang girl I’ll be over in a bit with some crackers and a bottle of wine. ;)
You can never have too much cheese though, this looks like ooey gooey perfection!
I said 20 not 30 :) I honestly do think I have about 20. Not quite 30, but hey, that’s something to work towards :)
I love your bright blue pan, funny I got actually 1 skillet and a dutch oven from Le Creuset this weekend in the exact same color :) oh and by they way I am loving the cheesy overload you have here!
I love blue and turquoise baking pans and cookware! Something about that color family just makes me happy! Congrats on your new LeCreuset Dutch oven! That is a major purchase – congrats!
Mascarpone cheese is soooo good!!! It makes a meal almost decadent in my opinion. My husband uses it in a few dessert recipes with honey & mascarpone. Amazing!
honey & mascarpone = an amazing combo!!
Another perfect recipe!! Tortellini is my FAVORITE!
It is awful-nasty-cold-rainy today. I love sunshine, so I am displeased about this. On the positive side, though, it gives me such an appetite and desire to cook cozy foods. This, my friend, is An Official Cozy Food. I love tortellini because it’s cheesy, and you’ve taken it to a new level of cozy bliss. <3
An Official Cozy Food = totally right with that! This is the type of meal you want with weather just as you described. Hope the sun comes out soon!
OMG!!!! My family will love this Averie!
So easy and makes extra for leftovers, i.e. makes mom’s job easier the next day!
I love love love mascarpone, but don’t use it very often. And I can tell already that my kids are going to flip for this extra cheesy pasta
I love it too, so much, and don’t use it often but after this recipe, I’m going to use it more!
This tortellini looks amazingly delicious! I want to try it out soon!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
This looks delicious! I have 3/4 of a shelf in my refrigerator dedicated to cheese. I can’t wait to make this dish!
I think our refrigerators are twins :)
Hey Averie! This recipe looks great, but one problem: red pasta sauce is listed in the ingredients, and I can’t find the step to add it in.
Thanks for noticing that! That’s what happens when I type up recipes too fast! I just updated it and the sauce comes in at Step 2. Enjoy!
I would say the majority of my grocery bill is produce and cheese…This recipe is perfect comfort food at its best. I have a weakness for tortellini its my all time favorite pasta. This is happening this week.
LMK if you try it! And our grocery bills are the same! Except mine also includes a fair amount of adult beverages :)
Can totally identify with you on the refrigerator being a cheese shop girl, my love of that stuff runs DEEP!
This bake looks totally ooey gooey…and something that I want to DEVOUR for dinner!
My love for cheese is ridiculous. Like crazy! Sounds like we are the same with our cheese love!
Tortellini is probably Jon’s favorite pasta because of the cheese inside! I’ve never used mascarpone before but this recipe looks like a great reason to buy some. I hear you on the whole cheese thing…. I love trying new types also!
You are going to love mascarpone and be addicted to cooking and making sauces with it. It is SO SMOOTH. Like velvety smooth. Just divine.
Me and Trader Joe’s cheese wall, well, it’s my favorite thing to go do there is buy new cheese!
Hi, where did you buy your mascarpone cheese? I can’t find it anywhere…(*I have access to the same grocery stores as you do)
This looks amazing :)
Ralph’s. My Vons also sells it too. Whole Foods is a guarantee but more pricey. Ask the deli people because it’s not always kept right where other cheese is kept. And some stores have cheese stashed in like 3 separate places in the store!