Baked Tortellini With Meat Sauce Recipe

Baked tortellini is cheese tortellini stirred into a hearty meat sauce, sprinkled with cheese, and baked until bubbling and crispy around the edges. This comfort food recipe comes together quickly with premade tortellini for a filling and easy dinner. If you have some homemade tortellini in your freezer, this pasta bake is a delicious application for them.

Hailing from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy—which is also home to celebrated traditional Italian ingredients like Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, and balsamic vinegar of Modena—tortellini is a type of small, ring-shaped pasta traditionally stuffed with a combination of ground meat (like diced mortadella, Italian sausage, and prosciutto), egg, and parmesan cheese, and sealed in a circular fashion. Local legend states that the shape of tortellini emulates the navel of the goddess Venus.

While the neighboring cities of Bologna and Modena fight over which can proclaim itself the true birthplace of tortellini, both areas can agree on the most classic way to serve these pillowy bites of pasta: boiled and served in a bowl of rich brodo (broth). You can toss tortellini pasta in several different pasta sauces, such as bolognese, marinara sauce, alfredo cream sauce, or a simple sauce made from reserved pasta water and butter.

Follow these simple steps to make the best baked tortellini:

1. 1. Boil the tortellini. Cook store-bought or homemade tortellini (fresh or frozen) in generously salted boiling water according to the package directions. Cook the pasta until just barely al dente to prevent it from getting mushy when baked. Fresh tortellini takes about five to seven minutes to cook, while frozen tortellini takes nine to eleven minutes. You will know the tortellini are ready when they all pop up to the surface. (If tortellini is unavailable, fresh cheese ravioli are a good substitute.)
2. 2. Make a pasta sauce. Make a marinara sauce by sautéing aromatics and adding crushed tomatoes and herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme. For a heartier dish, brown ground beef or Italian sausage before adding the tomatoes to make a simple meat sauce. For a vegetarian dish, skip the meat and add veggies like chopped zucchini to the tomato sauce for a filling main course.
3. 3. Bake the tortellini. Combine the cooked tortellini and the sauce in a casserole dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until the cheese melts. Remove the foil and continue baking until the sauce bubbles and the cheese browns around the edges. For a quick side dish, you can bake garlic bread in the oven alongside the pasta.
4. 4. Garnish the baked tortellini. Sprinkle baked tortellini with fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and more Parmesan cheese right before serving for an elevated dish.