Cheesy Beef Tortellini Bake: Quick & Delicious Pasta Dish

Being Italian, I love a good pasta dish and cheese tortellini is one of my all time favorites. I also love making pasta bakes because they are so simple to make, easy to serve, and freeze well for leftovers. This amazing pasta bake recipe is filled with cheese tortellini, ground beef, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese for quick, easy and delicious dinner that the whole family will love.

Photo byfivehearthome.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-¼ lb. of cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ cup of yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• ¼ cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of dried parsley

Photo byThisGalCooks.com

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the ground beef, seasoning with the salt and both peppers. Cook throughly, breaking the meat up as it cooks.
• Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
• Stir in the oregano and parsley, and cook for an another few minutes.
• Pour in the tomatoes and stir well to combine.
• Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• Stir in the basil, then remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cheese tortellini with meat sauce and stir until tortellini is evenly coated.
• Transfer the tortellini mix into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly all over the top.
• Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is competely melted and hot and bubbly.
• Serve warm and enjoy!