Baked Tortellini with Broccoli and Olives

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Tortellini: The recipe calls for fresh tortellini, which you can find in the refrigerator case at the grocery. It is up to you whether you keep it simple with cheese tortellini, or you can use one with ricotta and spinach or another variety.
• Marinara sauce: Just like the pasta, this is where you can rely something store-bought. Pick out a jar of your favorite smooth tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce.
• Tomatoes: I use a can big can of diced tomatoes. It’s important to drain out the juice. Otherwise you will end up with too much liquid.
• Broccoli: Make sure not to skip roasting the broccoli. Just throwing it in will leave you with stems that are too crunchy and won’t work with the texture and bite of the tortellini.
• Olives: Pitted Kalamata olives give the pasta something a bit salty here and there. I like having that range of interesting flavors.
• Spinach: Including a couple cups of baby spinach is wonderful way to add greens without any effort. They will soften as they bake with the rest of the ingredients.
• Cheese: This baked cheese tortellini recipe has 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheese. I prefer using an Italian cheese blend, so it has more to it than just mozzarella cheese. It’s even better if you can find thick-cut shreds. After you pull the pasta from the oven, you can top it with grated Parmesan cheese if you want.
• Olive oil: Toss the broccoli in olive oil when you roast it.
• Parsley: When it comes out of the oven, I garnish the baked tortellini with chopped parsley. You can substitute with fresh basil.
• Salt & pepper season the broccoli. Since you are using store-brought, readymade fresh pasta and tomato sauce, the rest of the seasonings and aromatics like garlic and oregano should already be taken care of.

How To Make This Baked Tortellini

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Toss the broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes. The florets should be bright green and lightly browned at the edges.

2. Combine the tortellini, 2 cups pasta sauce, tomatoes, olives, spinach and half the cheese in a large bowl. Stir it all together.

2. Spread a half-cup of the tomato sauce across the bottom of the baking dish.

4. Transfer the tortellini mixture into the dish.

5. Scatter the roasted broccoli on top.

6. Spoon on the remaining tomato sauce.

7. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven until the pasta is al dente and the cheese has melted, about 20-25 minutes. Switch the broiler on high and remove the foil to brown the top of the baked tortellini casserole. Then garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

What To Serve with a Pasta Bake

This cheesy baked tortellini is a meal on its own. I usually skip any side dishes that require a lot of additional cooking. Try greens like an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette or an Italian chopped salad. You can also include garlic bread.

Leftovers & Storage

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. To warm them, spoon out portions onto a lined sheet them and put them in a 350-degree F oven. You can also warm them in the microwave.