Extra cheesy BAKED TORTELLINI is the casserole you’ll want to make over and over again! This family friendly pasta dish is a huge hit with the kids and it’s so simple to throw together!
You guys should know by now that I’m a sucker for a good casserole.
You can toss anything into a 9×13 and I am happy to eat it for dinner. 😉
My million dollar spaghetti is a favorite in my house, so I thought hey, why not make it even cheesier by using cheese tortellini instead of spaghetti?
You guys. I don’t want to pat myself on the back too hard here, but this was a genius decision.
I did change this up just a bit by swapping the cottage cheese for ricotta, but it’s the same general idea with the same creamy, cheesy pasta vibe that no one can resist.
How to Make:
Cook the tortellini: Set your oven to pre-heat to 350 degrees, and begin cooking the cheese tortellini for 1 minute less than the the package instructions. We use fresh or frozen cheese tortellini for this recipe.
Brown the beef: Hamburger adds a lot of flavor to this baked tortellini! We don’t often add onions to our recipes, because my husband is very picky a bit sensitive to them. Feel free to add a diced onion with the beef though!
- Add the meat to a large, deep skillet and cook until browned over medium high heat.
- After the beef has browned, add the minced garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Drain the fat from the skillet when it has finished cooking.
Add the pasta: After draining the fat from the skillet, add the marinara sauce to the beef and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the cooked pasta, and stir well to combine.
Add the cheese: This wouldn’t be a baked cheese tortellini without the cheese, and that is what really makes this dish so decadent and full of flavor!
- Add the cream cheese, ricotta, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a small mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Pour half of the tortellini and hamburger mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the remaining tortellini and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake: Finally, we get to turn all of this into a tasty million dollar pasta!
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
Helpful TipS!
Tortellini:
- This recipe uses packaged cheese tortellini. We prefer either frozen or refrigerated, but dried tortellini will likely work as well. Just follow the instructions on the package when cooking the pasta.
- If you want to go the extra mile and make your own fresh cheese tortellini, feel free to do so.
Variations:
- Try it with different cheeses! Mascarpone cheese is an excellent choice, or switch the regular mozzarella to smoked mozzarella for some extra flavor.
- Add fresh chopped spinach when stirring the pasta and marinara together for some extra nutrition.
- Substitute sausage for the beef, if desired.
- Cottage cheese makes a great ricotta substitute!
Make It a Meal!
- Try this baked tortellini with some cream cheese garlic bread!
- This recipe goes great with a side salad and some homemade keto ranch dressing!
Storage and Reheating:
Like many pasta recipes, this reheats like a dream!
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot or pop the whole pan in the oven, covered, at 350 until warmed through.
More casserole favorites!
- Dorito Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Crockpot Lasagna
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Hamburger Casserole
Million Dollar Baked Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 ounces marinara
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the tortellini for 1 minute less than the package directions state.
- While the tortellini is cooking, add the ground beef to a large, deep skillet over medium heat and cook until browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Drain the fat from the skillet.
- Add the marinara to the beef and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain the tortellini and add to the skillet with the beef and marinara and stir to combine.
- Add the cream cheese, ricotta, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a small mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Pour half of the the tortellini mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the cream cheese mixture. Add the remaining tortellini and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Nancy says
I made a version of this. I did not use cream cheese or meat. I increased the ricotta to 1 cup. I sautéed sliced mushrooms, and some finely chopped sweet onion. I then chopped up some zucchini, fresh spinach, and a couple of fresh tomatoes. I partially cooked them in the sauté pan . I also added some pressed garlic. ( I did not use any powdered garlic or onion). I cooked the refrigerated three cheese tortellini for less time than listed on the package.
Then tossed all the Vegas together, along with Parmesan, ricotta and the sauce. Poured the mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish.
Sinc3 I was taking this to a lake house for a weekend event, I did not bake it. I refrigerated it overnight. We traveled the next day and then baked this for the dinner meal. I topped with some Parmesan and fresh mozzarella. I also added just a few drops of water since the pasta soaked up moisture. Baked it till cooked/heated through. I let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. It was very good. Everyone liked it. We ate some of the leftover for lunch next day. It was not dry. Oh, I also did add a Bit of salt and pepper, and some fresh chopped basil from my garden to the vegetable mixture.
I will definitely make again. I may try some Italian sausage or turkey sausage next time. This casserole would also be good with ravioli instead of tortellini.
Bob Chamberlin says
Awesome recipe, Rao’s sauce was really good; I added some lobster ravioli & used fresh mozzarella. My supervisor loved it, a keeper with lots of options. Try some baby Bella’s – added a nice touch.
Marrisa Figueroa says
Tasty!!! Having a Tortellini lasagna.
Bob Chamberlin says
Can you make this the night before & frig?
Karly says
Should work great! You’ll just want to increase bake time a bit so that it’s good and hot. It’ll probaby take longer to bake if it’s cold from the fridge.