Cheesy Pesto Tortellini Bake

pesto tortellini with melted cheese in a baking dish

5 from 4 votes

Cheesy Pesto Tortellini Bake

This cheesy pesto tortellini bake is a 3-ingredient, weeknight superstar! Just three ingredients and 30 minutes is all it takes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Morgan Peaceman

Equipment

1 large pot
1 oven safe baking dish
1 spider skimmer/spatula
1 food processor only if you are making fresh pesto.

Ingredients

1 jar pesto
1 pkg fresh tortellini
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini as the package says, or at least one minute less to prevent overcooking while it bakes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375º and grab an oven-safe dish. Once the tortellini is done cooking, drain the pasta and set aside.
If you are using pre-made pesto: Take two (maybe three) spoonfuls of the jarred pesto and layer into the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish.
If you are making the pesto: take 1 cup basil leaves, ⅓ cup parmesan, 3 minced garlic cloves, and ¼ cup olive oil and add to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth. You may need to add more parmesan and/or oil depending upon the consistency.
Pour the drained tortellini into a baking dish. Spread around the pesto and coat the pasta.
Layer the mozzarella cheese to cover the pasta. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven to broil for an additional 3 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

Notes

Don't overcook the tortellini! It will continue to cook as it bakes, so be sure to boil the pasta until it is al dente, which is traditionally about 3-4 minutes for tortellini. You'll know the tortellini is done when it floats to the top of the water.

Add more pesto than you might think. When the pasta bakes, it has the potential to dry out, so be sure to coat the pasta really well with the pesto.

Broil the entire dish for 2 minutes at the end for a crispy, golden brown top, and be sure to use broil-friendly casserole dishes. I love using Staub casserole dishes as they always broil really well!

Nutrition