30-Minute Tortellini Pasta Bake
A quick, easy, and comforting tortellini pasta bake that’s perfect for weeknight dinners. It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor, coming together in just 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 people
Ingredients
Scale
Main ingredients
- 4 cloves Garlic (Mince it up fine)
- 1 tbsp Dried Italian herbs (Shortcut to amazing flavor)
- 80 g Kale or spinach (Kale holds up better, spinach wilts quickly)
- 2 Shallots (Milder, sweeter onions)
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme (Optional, adds brightness)
- 0.5 lemon Lemon juice (Brightens everything up)
- 1 (250 g) package Fresh or shelf-stable tortellini (Whichever you can find works)
- 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon (Adds unexpected warmth)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (For sautéing)
- 100 ml Double cream (Makes the sauce creamy)
- 250 g Mozzarella (Shredded)
- 50 g Parmesan (Grated fresh if possible)
- 500 g Passata (Or chopped tomatoes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Finely chop up your garlic and shallots.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in an oven-safe skillet or large pan.
- Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in passata (or tomatoes), dried Italian herbs, fresh thyme (if using), cinnamon, and lemon juice.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then stir in the tortellini, ensuring they are covered in sauce.
- Add kale or spinach and stir until wilted.
- Pour double cream over the mixture and stir gently.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan generously over the top.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Let the bake rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
This pasta bake is also giftable and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It can be assembled ahead of time and frozen in portions. Add other vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms with the shallots. For protein, add cooked Italian sausage, shredded chicken, or white beans. For spice, add red pepper flakes. Half-and-half can be used as a lighter cream alternative. Diced or crushed tomatoes can substitute for passata. Ensure the skillet is large enough to avoid overcrowding.