This cheesy tortellini bake is a quick and easy 3 ingredient dinner that you’ll love keeping in your back pocket for a busy night! It’s a baked tortellini dish that you’ll be making again and again!
You guys are really loving my 3-ingredient recipes, and that makes me REALLY happy, because I love them too! We’re all living in a time where some ingredients are scarce, so if you can make something delicious out of only a few staples, the world is a better place!
Speaking of scarcity – I have mostly been able to find what I’ve needed, but when I went to the grocery store today to get a few things, I couldn’t even get half of them. Toothpicks (really!?), coffee filters and baking powder were all completely sold out. Yikes! Are people really stocking up on this stuff, or is something else going on? I can’t imagine there being a run on coffee filters…so strange.
Anyway, today’s 3-ingredient recipe contains two things that you might already have sitting around your house. I don’t know about you, but we’ve always got a package or two of tortellini in the freezer for those emergency dinner nights! They’re so quick and easy, and everyone in the family loves them. We always buy a 3-pack of them from Costco when we go!
This cheesy tortellini bake is the easiest way to make something that everyone is going to love. You can even have it ready in 30 minutes! Win!
How do you make this tortellini bake?
Start by cooking the tortellini! You can do this right from frozen, or from fresh. Frozen will only take an extra couple of minutes, but in general tortellini are cooked in 7-8 minutes. Use any flavor of tortellini you like best!
In the mean time while you’ve got the pasta boiling away, preheat the oven to 350 F and grate some mozzarella cheese. You can also add in parmesan cheese for some extra flavor and a bit of a sharper edge!
When the tortellini are floating to the top, drain them quickly and let them sit in the strainer for a couple of minutes to let all of the water completely drain. Now add the noodles to an 8 x 8 casserole dish or baking pan. You can also use an 11 x 7 dish; you just want the tortellini in a mostly single layer.
Empty the marinara sauce into the pan, using a spoon to combine it all together.
Cover everything in a heaping layer of shredded mozzarella cheese before popping it in the preheated oven. The tortellini bake will take about 20 minutes in the oven to heat all of the way through. You want the cheese to be bubbling on top before you switch it to the broiler setting for a few minutes, to get that lovely crispy brown color on the cheese!
Now pull it out of the oven and serve it up!
What do you serve this cheesy tortellini bake with?
Serve up this tortellini with a simple side salad or some roasted veggies on the side! Here’s a few of our favorite salads we like:
Now, can we just pause to look at this beautiful cheesy bake!?
I’ll be back next week with another 3-ingredient win!
Want some more 30 minute meals in your life? You’ll love these:
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Cheesy Tortellini Bake
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
This cheesy tortellini bake is a quick and easy 3 ingredient dinner that you’ll love keeping in your back pocket for a busy night!
Ingredients
- 1 package tortellini (3 – 3 1/2 lbs), fresh or frozen, any flavor
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and fill a medium saucepan with water, bringing it to a boil on high. Once the water starts boiling, add a pinch of salt, followed by the tortellini. Cook until the tortellini floats to the top, about 6-8 minutes (longer if cooking from frozen).
- Drain the tortellini and let the pasta sit in the strainer until all of the water has completely drained out, 1-2 minutes. Combine the pasta with the marinara sauce in an 8×8 or 11×7 pan. The tortellini should be in a nearly single layer in the dish. Top the tortellini with the freshly grated cheese, then place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling on top. Switch the oven to broil for 5-6 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately, with a side salad!
Leftover tortellini bake can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
Notes
*Try mixing mozzarella cheese with parmesan cheese!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: oven bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: cheesy tortellini bake // tortellini casserole // baked tortellini
What’s not to love about this?! It’s easy, quick and comfort food! Plus this is so family friendly! Yum!!
Thanks Kelly! I just love quick and easy food!
It’s so funny some of the stuff that you can’t get….luck who would have thought, right? Love that this one has only three ingredients and talk about comforting! Wish I could grab a scoopful (or the pan) straight through my screen. If only 😉 Happy weekend ahead!
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I know!! Who would have thought is right? I’ll be using paper towel as my coffee filters haha! Thanks Dawn – I wish I could share it with ya!! Happy weekend to you too!
I’m with Kelly…. What’s not to love?! Three-ingredient comfort food? I’m in!!
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Thanks Annie!! Pasta and cheese, what more could one want!?
I think it’s a problem with stores being able to restock everything that sells out. I was at the pharmacy yesterday and noticed that most of the scuba masks were sold out. No one is hoarding those! So I’m just thinking the supply chain is totally disrupted. But who knows? It’s crazy! Not crazy though? Cheesy pasta! This looks SO GOOD!
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That makes sense, Kelsie! I would be very surprised if people were hoarding scuba masks too, haha. It is all so crazy! Things have gotten so nutty in such a short time. Thank you pal! Happy weekend!
Katherine, I’m all about the comfort food right now and this cheesy tortellini bake is just what I’m craving! I can’t believe how easy it is! Loving the 3 ingredient recipes!
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I think we could all use a little extra comfort right now, Kelly! XO Thank you my friend. Happy weekend!
Ok where’s my spoon?! This looks so amazing. I love tortellini so I would definitely enjoy this recipe. Hope you’re having a great day Katherine!
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Hehe! Thanks Christie!! We love tortellini too. It’s so cheesy and delicious!
Love a good simple dinner that’s guaranteed to please! And I always keep tortellini in the fridge or freezer, so this is pretty much perfect all around. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thanks Monica! We always have a stash of tortellini in the freezer too. I hope you’re able to give this one a try!
Katherine…you’re speaking my language here! Bubbly cheesy pasta bake – what could be better???! Oh yeah, when it’s only 3 ingredients! WIN WIN! 🙂
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It’s totally my language too, Haylie!! It is so delicious. Thanks Haylie, happy weekend!! XO
One of my all time favorites…What time is dinner? Pinning!!
Hahah thanks Kim!! You know you’re always welcome 🙂
Katherine
Your tortellini bake looks perfect. Comforting, cheesy and 3 ingredients plus bonus point under 30min. Satisfying!
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Right!? 30 minutes and 3 ingredients, what more could one want? 🙂
Absolutely sharing the beauty ! Enjoy your week end !
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Hooray! Thank you Davorka. Happy weekend to you too!!
Three ingredient comfort food at its very best! I LOVE this!
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Thanks Alex! We’re getting some chilly weather here this week so I’m all about the comfort food!
I have seen shortages on the most random things too! …Qtips…really???
I love this stress free, easy and delicious dinner!! Frozen pastas are so convenient!
Hahah Q-tips. Sooo funny. Thank you Thao! Frozen pasta can be a lifesaver!
Cheesy baked pasta is the ultimate comfort food! Love how easily this one comes together! I agree how some of the most random things are not available. Maybe all those crafty folks are making toothpick and coffee filter art??
It does come together SO easily! Thank you!! Hahaha – toothpick and coffee filter art. That cracked me up!
So so smart! I’ve recently ordered marinara sauce in a jar. The only thing I do is check the sugar content, just because I don’t think sugar belongs in any red sauce. Mostly this is because I have had to deal with an arthritic thumb, and I can’t peel garlic, or really use a knife well, or really stir well…. my surgery is tomorow! Yay!!! Anyway, what surprised me is the good quality marinara sauces I’ve discovered. I might continue using them! So I absolutely love this recipe!
Oh Mimi, I completely agree. Sugar does not belong in marinara sauce! GOOD LUCK with your surgery!! I will be thinking well wishes for you. XO
Three ingredients is about the best ingredient list ever! I normally do this raviolis, but it would be great with tortellini too! And I’m finding the stores are out of the most random things sometimes too.
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Thanks Marcie! I would love to try this with raviolis too. Clever!
I am loving your easy tortellini recipe. Plus, using fewer ingredients has all of a sudden become so practical!
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Yes! We’re currently surviving on a very bare fridge while we wait for our grocery delivery, so these kinds of recipes are very practical!
Wow this is so nice and simple! Definitely looks delicious. I think I have a dinner tonight
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Thank you! It is so easy. Hope you enjoy!
Wow this is just perfect for those quick and fast meals! I bet it’s super comforting and very delicious too with that cheesy goodness!
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A question on the ingredients? It states 3-3 1/2 lbs. of tortellini. The pictures look more like it’s about a 20 ounce package of tortellini based on the pan size and how full the pan appears. Can you confirm? Also, I don’t think 2 cups sauce would be enough for 3 lbs. of pasta.