Recipes

Baked Tortellini with Spinach & Ricotta (Serves 4–6)

Base serves 2 with leftovers — slide to scale the ingredients.

Serves: 4–6 Time: 35 minutes Flavor: bubbling marinara, creamy ricotta pockets, browned mozzarella Type: Weeknight bake, one pot + one 9x13

Store-bought cheese tortellini, barely boiled, then tossed in a garlicky marinara with wilted spinach. Ricotta goes over the top in dollops, and mozzarella and Parmesan go over that. Vegetarian as written. Italian sausage gets browned in its own pan and scattered over half the dish.

Ingredients

Base

  • 1 (20 oz) family-size package refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (24 oz) jar marinara
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 5 oz baby spinach
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Cheese

  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan, divided
  • 1½ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (6 oz)

Protein Options

  • Vegetarian: the cheese tortellini and ricotta carry it. Plant-based Italian sausage can go on her side if you want it.
  • Meat: ½ lb Italian sausage, casings removed, browned separately

Toppings

  • Red pepper flakes (at the table)
  • Torn fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Oven to 400°F. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Undercook the tortellini. Boil it 2 minutes less than the package says, then drain. It finishes in the oven. If it's fully cooked going in, it comes out mushy.
  3. (Meat side) Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high, breaking it up, 6–7 minutes until no pink remains. Set aside.
  4. Sauce. In the empty tortellini pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Cook the onion 4 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the marinara and oregano. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time until it wilts.
  5. Toss and pour. Fold the tortellini into the sauce and pour it into a greased 9x13.
  6. Layer. Stir ¼ cup of the Parmesan into the ricotta with a pinch of salt and pepper, and dollop it across the top. Scatter the sausage over one half only. Cover everything with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
  7. Bake 15–18 minutes until bubbling at the edges, then broil 1–2 minutes for brown spots on the cheese.
  8. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Variations

  • Toothpick the sausage side so nobody grabs the wrong corner.
  • Toddler portion: scoop from the vegetarian side. Spinach hides well in the sauce. Red pepper flakes stay at the table.
  • Spinach: squeeze nothing. Baby spinach wilts straight into the sauce without watering it down.
  • Make ahead: assemble through step 6, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Add 10 minutes to the bake.
  • Leftovers: reheat covered at 350°F with a splash of water.