Baked Tortellini “Lasagna”

There are many recipes for Baked Tortellini Lasagna on the internet. This is a composite of what is out there. You can make this even easier by using store-bought marina sauce and meatless by leaving out the ground beef. Some recipes call for using ricotta cheese, however, I find this unnecessary as the Tortellini already has cheese.

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

1poundground beef (optional)
3large cloves garlicminced
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
3/4teaspoondried basil
1/2teaspoondried parsley
1/4teaspoondried oregano
1/4teaspoondried thyme
Pinchof crushed red pepper flakesoptional
Salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
32-ounces (4 cups) marinara/pasta sauce (yours or jarred)
1(18 – 22-ounce) package frozen or fresh cheese tortellini
8ouncesmozzarella cheesegrated (about 2 cups)
2tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
Basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart (9 X 12 inch) baking dish and set aside.
In a large pot set over medium heat, brown ground beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink, breaking it up and stirring frequently. Drain fat. Season meat with garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, crushed red pepper flakes (if desired), and salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Stir pasta sauce into cooked ground beef.
Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain and stir tortellini into the sauce.
Remove pot from heat and stir in half of the grated mozzarella. Transfer tortellini/meat sauce into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining grated mozzarella and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 20 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with basil or parsley.

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