Description
A comforting and easy pasta bake featuring fresh spinach and ricotta tortellini in a flavorful Neapolitan tomato sauce, layered with mozzarella, parmesan, and pine nuts, baked to golden perfection. Ideal for a quick weeknight dinner served alongside a fresh mixed salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce and Pasta
- 500g tub Neapolitan pasta sauce (from the chiller cabinet)
- 100ml (3½ fl oz) water
- A good handful of fresh basil leaves
- 250g packet fresh stuffed spinach and ricotta tortellini
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toppings
- 100g packet mozzarella, sliced
- 2 tbsp grated fresh parmesan
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
To Serve
- Mixed salad leaves
Instructions
- Assemble the sauce: Preheat your oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) or 160°C if using a fan oven. In a large bowl, pour the Neapolitan pasta sauce and dilute it with 100ml of water. Add the fresh basil leaves and the fresh stuffed spinach and ricotta tortellini. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Layer it up: Divide half of the pasta mixture between two individual gratin dishes or one larger ovenproof dish. Tear half of the sliced mozzarella and scatter it over the pasta. Add the remaining pasta and sauce mixture on top, gently pressing it down so the tortellini doesn’t stick out above the sauce. Tear the remaining mozzarella slices and scatter them across the top with the grated parmesan and pine nuts for a crunchy, cheesy topping.
- Bake and serve: Place the dishes on a baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden and bubbling hot. Serve immediately alongside a fresh mixed salad for a complete meal.
Notes
- Using fresh stuffed tortellini gives this dish a rich texture and flavor, but frozen tortellini can be used if unavailable; just adjust the cooking time slightly.
- Pine nuts add a lovely crunch; you can toast them lightly in a dry pan before sprinkling for extra flavor.
- Feel free to swap basil for other herbs like thyme or oregano if preferred.
- Double the recipe for a larger family-sized bake; adjust baking time accordingly.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated; bake just before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pasta bake, tortellini bake, easy Italian dinner, baked pasta, spinach ricotta tortellini, comfort food, vegetarian pasta
