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Home » Dinner » Baked Tortellini in Meat Sauce

August 28, 2017 By Sara 26 Comments

Baked Tortellini in Meat Sauce

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This baked tortellini recipe is cheese tortellini in a hearty meat sauce, all topped with cheese and baked to perfection. A super easy dinner that the whole family will love!

Baked pasta is classic comfort food that’s always a crowd pleaser. This version uses tortellini in a homemade meat sauce and can easily be doubled to serve a large group.

Baked Tortellini with Meat Sauce Recipe | Cheese Tortellini | Tortellini Recipe | Baked Pasta Recipe #tortellini #bakedtortellini #meatsauce #pasta #dinner #dinneratthezoo

A pan of cheesy baked tortellini with a spoon lifting up a portion.

I’ve been adding some new dinner options to our menu rotation lately, and this baked tortellini definitely fits the bill! It’s cheesy, hearty, kid pleasing, and so very easy to make. All you need is a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time to have this comfort food classic on your table.

How do you make baked tortellini?

This baked tortellini recipe starts with Three Bridges Triple Cheese Tortellini and Heirloom Marinara Sauce.  Three Bridges pastas and sauces are available at natural food and grocery retailers nationwide. I found Three Bridges at my local Safeway, but they’re also available at Raley’s, Target and more.

Three Bridges Triple Cheese Tortellini and Heirloom Tomato Sauce

The first step in the process is to bring a pot of water to boil. While the water is boiling, I sauté some diced onion and ground beef. After the tortellini goes into the pot, I add the Heirloom Marinara Sauce to the beef mixture.

A dish of cheese tortellini tossed in meat sauce.

After the tortellini goes into the baking dish, simply top with shredded mozzarella, bake, then serve!

How long does it take to cook frozen tortellini?

I typically make this dish with fresh tortellini, but you can also use frozen tortellini with excellent results. Fresh tortellini takes about 6-7 minutes to cook, and frozen tortellini takes 10-11 minutes to cook.

A pan of baked tortellini in a meat sauce, all covered with cheese.

 

My whole family loves this baked tortellini, and I love how easy it is to make. It’s the perfect meal for a busy weeknight, or you can make a double batch and serve it up at a potluck! Regardless of how you serve it, it’s sure to be a hit with both kids and adults alike.

More pasta dishes you’ll love

  • Taco Pasta
  • Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
  • Chicken Parmesan Pasta
  • Chicken Pesto Pasta
  • Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

Baked Tortellini Video


A pan of cheesy baked tortellini with a spoon lifting up a portion.
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4.93 from 14 votes

Baked Tortellini with Meat Sauce

This baked tortellini recipe is cheese tortellini in a hearty meat sauce, all topped with cheese and baked to perfection. A super easy dinner that the whole family will love!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baked pasta, baked tortellini
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 521kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 18 ounces Three Bridges Triple Cheese Tortellini (2 9-ounce packages or 1 family size package)
  • 1 15-ounce container Three Bridges Heirloom Marinara Sauce
  • cooking spray
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced white onion
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 6 cup or larger baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions.
  • While you wait for the water to boil and tortellini to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
  • Add the ground beef to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until done, approximately 4-5 minutes.
  • Pour the marinara sauce into the pan with the beef and heat until warmed through.
  • Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat.
  • Spoon the pasta into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 4mg

This post is sponsored by Three Bridges. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Italian food, Pasta

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Comments

  1. Rebeca Torres-Rose says

    December 14, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    So easy, so fast, sooo good! This is going on regular rotation around here for those days where I can’t even think of what to make. I used fresh tortelloni from Giovanni Rana. The family size spinach and mozz tortelloni which is a big bigger than the ingredients called for and a 28oz jar of Aldi’s organic marinara along with a pound of ground beef. Sprinkled some shredded parm over the mozz (~1/4 cup) because I love it so much. I’ll have to keep some frozen tortelloni in the freezer for emergencies! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Linda Dease says

    October 14, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent dish. Very tasty couldn’t wait to eat leftovers the next day.

    Reply
  3. Susan says

    June 22, 2020 at 10:52 am

    5 stars
    I had some extra spinach so I added it in! Really great recipe that we all loved.

    Reply
  4. Jan says

    April 27, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    I couldn’t stop eating this with all the flavors, textures and melted cheese!

    Reply
  5. Bruiser girl says

    February 7, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    Excellent recipe! Added a couple garlic cloves chopped, Italian seasoning, and a splash of sherry to the sauce. Turned out delicious. Served with a salad and bread.

    Reply
  6. Diane Neufeld says

    January 27, 2020 at 8:53 am

    Could I put this in a slow cooker? I cook for 6- 8 men and need a lot!!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 27, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      You could make the sauce in the slow cooker then stir in the tortellini during the last 30 minutes!

      Reply
  7. Brenda Ingram says

    December 19, 2019 at 10:10 am

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe, my family love pasta dishes, made it with
    sweet Italian sausage and served with a garden salad or cooked spinach . Truly was a hit.

    Reply
  8. Judi says

    September 11, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    Can this be made ahead and frozen? Having a big crowd and looking to cook from the freezer..

    Reply
    • Sara says

      September 11, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      Yes that should be fine!

      Reply
  9. Yvonne says

    September 8, 2019 at 4:21 pm

    Can’t wait to try this recipe.

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    August 24, 2019 at 6:10 pm

    Like other commenters, I could not find the specific brand of tortellini or sauce. I used Buitoni brand. I added half a green bell pepper, three cloves of garlic, some basil, and a dash of red pepper flakes. Overall I found the dish to be dry. It’s tasty but needs more marinara. I will keep playing with it, though!

    Reply
  11. Nancy Jean says

    March 2, 2019 at 9:46 am

    5 stars
    This is delicious and so easy to make! Big hit with everyone!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      March 2, 2019 at 11:53 am

      Glad to hear everyone enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!

      Reply
  12. Vallan says

    February 20, 2019 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    Soooo good and easy to make, I added portobella mushrooms and fresh baby spinach as well as Italian seasoning and a few dashes of Spike seasoning, also used a 650ml jar of marinara, definitely going to make again! 👍🏻👍🏻

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 21, 2019 at 2:43 pm

      Sounds amazing I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  13. Elaine says

    September 27, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    This was so very good . Family loved it. Easy to make in a tight schedule world we live in.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      September 27, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks so much for reporting back, glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Stephen says

    November 6, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    4 stars
    Good dish! I’m a sauce lover so I doubled the sauce! I used a Sunday gravysauce which is identical to most heirloom sauces. Added a bit of garlic,Worcester, and a good balsamic vinaigrette. A touch of all three!

    Reply
  15. Sam says

    August 31, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    5 stars
    Potluck this weekend and this is what we’re bringing! Cheesy

    Reply
  16. Bea says

    August 29, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect casserole that can be made ahead! Love all that melted cheese!

    Reply
  17. sarah berger says

    August 29, 2017 at 7:08 am

    I can not find the sauce or tortellini anywhere. 🙁 any suggestions, My target does not have a refrigerated section

    Reply
    • Sara says

      August 29, 2017 at 7:16 am

      Hi Sarah, have you looked at their store locator? https://threebridges.com/store-locator/ I hope you can find it near you, it’s totally worth it!

      Reply
  18. Debbie says

    August 28, 2017 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    My family would just love this! Making it this week!

    Reply
  19. olivia @ livforcake says

    August 28, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like the BEST dinner ever and I love how easy it is. Making this this week for SURE!

    Reply
  20. Cookbook says

    August 28, 2017 at 7:43 am

    5 stars
    I wish I had made this last night so I could bring the leftovers to work for lunch!

    Reply

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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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