These amazing Baked Cheese Tortellini, loaded with hearty meat sauce and topped with Mozzarella cheese are baked to perfection! Easy to make, it will be your favorite family comfort meal for any occasion.
This is one of my most favorite recipes for Baked Cheese Tortellini that are loaded with delicious hearty meat sauce and topped with gooey melted mozzarella cheese! After you bake everything in the oven, all the flavors bind together into a tasty comfort meal that will be perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a Sunday family gathering.
Similar to my Tortellini with Tomato Sauce, this recipe is very easy to make and will be perfect for a meal prep.
Why you will love this recipe
- So easy to make! Even if you are a beginner cook, this foolproof recipe will come out perfect every single time!
- Good for meal prep! You can make the sauce a 1-2 days ahead and keep refrigerated. When ready to serve, just assemble all the components and bake.
- Great for a crowd! If you are having a big party, just double all the ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitution
Ground beef. I prefer to use 85% ground beef as it has the best flavor/fat ratio. You can also easily substitute it with any other ground meat, like turkey, veal, or lamb.
Crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes is my to-go ingredient to make meat sauce. Marinara sauce will also work in this recipe, but you might need to adjust the seasoning, as it’s usually already seasoned with herbs and spices (check out my recipe for Homemade Marinara Sauce).
Tortellini. Refrigerated tortellini work the best in this recipe. You can also use frozen or dried variety.
Mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella is the perfect cheese to sprinkle on top of a casserole. It melts easily and provides delicious gooey texture. Sometimes, I use a store bought pizza blend, that includes a few different grated cheeses and provides even more complex flavors.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 chopped onion and cook for about 7-10 minutes until it’s softened and starts to caramelize.
Add 1 pound ground beef and cook for another 10 minutes or until it’s cooked through.
Then add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, boil a pot of water. Cook 18 oz refrigerated tortellini until they are cooked al dente, for about 3 minutes (see more in the notes).
When tortellini are cooked, drain the water and add them to the meat sauce and mix.
Transfer the mixture to the 13×9-inch baking pan, sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375˚F for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browned.
How long to cook tortellini
Refrigerated. 2-3 minutes
Frozen. 3-5 minutes
Dried. 10-11 minutes
Storage and Freezing
Storage: You can keep them in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3-5 days.
Reheating: You can reheat it in the oven, covered with foil. Just bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes.
Freezing: When completely cooled off, transfer to an air-tight container and freeze up to a month. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight and reheat as mentioned in the instructions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
When making ahead, I prefer just to prep the meat sauce and refrigerate for 1-2 days. When ready to serve, just mix it with precooked tortellini, top with cheese, and bake according to the instructions.
I prefer to precook them before mixing with meat sauce. This way you will make sure that they are cooked through and tender.
More comfort meals ideas:
- Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe
- Instant Pot Bolognese
- Taco Zucchini Boats
- Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
- Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Pea and Asparagus Risotto
- Lemon Chicken Orzo
Baked Cheese Tortellini with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 18 ounces cheese tortellini refrigerated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 chopped onion and cook for about 7-10 minutes until it’s softened and starts to caramelize.
- Add 1 pound ground beef and cook for another 10 minutes or until it’s cooked through.
- Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, boil a pot of water. Cook 18 oz refrigerated tortellini until they are cooked al dente, for about 3 minutes.
- When tortellini are cooked, drain the water and add them to the meat sauce and mix.
- Transfer the mixture to the 13×9-inch baking pan, sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375˚F for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browned.
Notes
- Refrigerated. 2-3 minutes
- Frozen. 3-5 minutes
- Dried. 10-11 minutes
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