This baked cheese tortellini is easy to make and a family favorite. Fresh tortellini is baked in tomato sauce with lots of cheese and veggies to make a hearty vegetarian casserole perfect for a busy night.
2 medium sized zucchini – about 2 cups – diced into quarters
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 packed cups of baby spinach
1 25 oz jar of tomato sauce – I used the Silver Palate brand marinara sauce
1/3 cup of ricotta
2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil or parsley to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini as per the package instructions. Drain when done.
Over medium heat, add olive oil to a large sauté pan. Add zucchini, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add half the spinach to the pan and sauté until wilted. Add the rest of the spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from heat.
Add tomato sauce to a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese and the ricotta to the bowl. Stir to combine.
Add cooked veggies and cooked tortellini to the tomato sauce in the bowl. Stir to combine.
Add tortellini mixture to baking dish and smooth down top with a wooden spoon.
Add mozzarella to the top of the tortellini mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and melted. If top is not golden brown after 30 minutes, turn on broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until top is golden brown.
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with a little fresh basil or parsley to garnish.
Notes
I used a 10 by 8 baking dish that was 2 inches deep.
This is a great make-ahead recipe. You can assemble this recipe in a casserole dish a day or so before and store it in the fridge tightly wrapped in tin foil until ready to bake. When ready to bake, remember to remove the tin foil.
This recipe freezes well.
If the top isn’t a golden brown once the casserole is cooked then you can put it under the broiler for 60 seconds or so – just watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t burn.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please come back and leave a comment and rating. I’d love to hear from you!
Nutritional information is generated from an online nutritional calculator. This information is provided as a courtesy only and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Ingredients can vary and Green Valley Kitchen makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.