This Alfredo tortellini bake is easy to make and incredibly comforting with the most amazing homemade Alfredo sauce and melty baked mozzarella.
Love Alfredo? Try my Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce, Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake, or this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.
Why you'll love it
It's a simple pasta bake that's a fuss-free way to get hot food on the table in just over half an hour with no fancy ingredients. This baked tortellini casserole recipe makes a perfect meatless main course, but it would also be delicious as a side dish!
While it's designed to be a quick meal that even the kids will enjoy, this cheesy baked tortellini is so good that it's definitely a dish you could make for company. I mean, cheese, garlic, cream, more cheese... say no more. It's heaven!
What you'll need
- Tortellini - I used cheese tortellini from the refrigerated aisle. You may use the frozen kind too. They thaw pretty fast.
- Butter - for frying the garlic
- Garlic - the aromatic base for the sauce. It's simple to mince with this garlic press.
- Cream cheese - it's key to this sauce. Philly is my go-to brand.
- Heavy cream - I wouldn't use anything with less fat content because the sauce won't be as rich and could curdle
- Parmesan - for both the sauce and topping
- Mozzarella - for the golden, melty finish
How to make baked tortellini Alfredo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat your oven and boil some water for the pasta. Cook the tortellini for a minute or so less than package directions suggest. Make the Alfredo sauce by melting some butter in a skillet, then adding the garlic and quickly cooking it. Stir in the cream and cream cheese until it's melted in. Don't let the sauce get too thick since it'll reduce more in the oven. Stir in half the parmesan once the sauce is done.
Drain the tortellini and add it to a 9x13 casserole dish. Toss it with the Alfredo sauce, and top with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Bake until the cheese has melted and it's hot and bubbly. Broil if desired!
Helpful tips
- Add in some cooked shredded or rotisserie chicken if you want some additional protein in here.
- You could use a good quality store-bought Alfredo sauce, but I really recommend trying my homemade version at least once! It's a game changer and isn't difficult to make at all.
- I always recommend grating your own parmesan cheese. I always keep a wedge in the fridge. The taste and the way it melts is superior to any pre-grated variety. I used my Microplane to grate the parm for this recipe.
How to make it ahead
- Assemble as instructed, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add a few minutes to the baking time since it'll be cold straight from the fridge.
- We don't recommend freezing this one. The creamy sauce just won't turn out right after thawing.
What to serve with it
- Try a side salad since it's quite rich. Mixed greens with this creamy balsamic dressing would be wonderful.
- Or go all out with some garlic bread... yum!
- It would also be a great side dish for plenty of main courses such as my Parmesan Crusted Chicken.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this pasta bake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Alfredo sauce tends to separate over time, so I would reheat it slowly on a low heat in a covered saucepan or in the oven covered by foil. Adding a small splash of cream while reheating can help bring the sauce back to its former glory.
- I don't recommend freezing this recipe because of the dairy content.
Questions about this Alfredo bake? Let me know in the comments below!
Alfredo Tortellini Bake
Ingredients
- 2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block of Philly) softened
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to starting the recipe, or microwave it for 20-30 seconds. It needs to be very soft. Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Boil water for the tortellini, and cook it one minute less than package directions indicate. Drain and add it to a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Meanwhile, add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once it's melted, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the cream cheese and heavy cream. Stir/whisk constantly until the cheese has melted in and it's thickened up a bit (this shouldn't take more than 4-5 minutes). Don't let the sauce get too thick because it'll continue to thicken up/reduce in the oven. If it becomes a bit too thick, add in a splash more cream.
- Stir half the parmesan cheese into the sauce and then take the skillet off the heat. I add a bit of salt & pepper to the sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the tortellini and then toss it and spread it out in an even layer.
- Top the tortellini with the rest of the parmesan and the mozzarella.
- Bake, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes until the cheese has melted, and then broil it for a few minutes to brown the cheese a bit (watch it carefully).
Notes
- Serves 6 (or a very generous 4) depending on portion size and what else it's served with.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Jenny York says
I'm adding some spinach to the sauce.
Natasha says
Sounds great, Jenny!
Rachel Kline says
Astoundingly delicious. The best pasta bake I have ever made, I think. The flavors were so well blended and very simple to make with everyday ingredients. The only change I made was I added 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken and a splash of chicken broth to make it a chicken alfredo bake.
Natasha says
Yay!! That's so great to hear. Thanks for your 5-star review!
Jenn Morrow says
This was amazing!! My whole family loved it and it is hard to find something everyone likes!! Next time I will have to double the recipe. Thank you!!
Natasha says
I'm so happy it was a hit, Jenn! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Mary Kielb says
Can I use frozen tortellini? And also I want to make 4 lbs, just triple everything?
Natasha says
Hi Mary! Frozen tortellini should be ok, but you may need to give it a little more time (it does thaw fast). Yeah, I would triple everything. You may want to use two baking dishes, though.
Mary Kielb says
What do you mean by thaw fast, if I use frozen tortellini,, don’t you boil them frozen like a ravioli?
Natasha says
Hi! Right, sorry... yes... I mixed this up with another recipe (I forgot about the boiling step). Yes, you would boil them frozen like ravioli. In the directions I say "one minute less than package directions indicate", I just put that so readers don't massively overcook it since it still has to go in the oven. They will thaw very quickly in boiling water so it really won't take much longer than if you boiled thawed tortellini. I would keep the baking time the same.
Sue says
So good and easy to make. Thanks for a great recipe!
Natasha says
You're very welcome Sue! 🙂
Jessica says
This looks delicious! I assume that this would reheat the same as your regular, non-baked Alfredo recipes? I ask because I didn’t follow your tip to reheat the penne Alfredo low/slow and the sauce broke! ::listen to your recipe blogger folks, they know what they’re talking about:: 😆
Natasha says
Thank you!! Haha right you are... I will add a note in the blog post. I really appreciate you actually reading the posts. Many people just skip right through and then blame me when the recipe goes wrong.
Ramya says
Will be making this soon with few subs perfect for my after office meals everyday will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Natasha says
I hope you enjoy it, Ramya! 🙂