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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 Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake, this 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 and picky eaters 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 heavenly!
What you’ll need
- Tortellini – I used cheese tortellini from the refrigerated aisle
- Butter – for frying the garlic
- Garlic – the aromatic base for the sauce
- 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
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- It’s simple to mince garlic with this garlic press.
- A 9×13 casserole dish works best for this one, and here’s the skillet pictured.
- I use my Microplane to grate the parm for this recipe. I always recommend grating your own parmesan cheese. The taste and the way it melts is superior to any pre-grated variety.
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 baking 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!
Substitutions and variations
- You may use the frozen kind of tortellini too. They thaw pretty fast!
- Add in some leftover Cooked Chicken 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.
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 this tortellini Alfredo bake
- Try a side salad since this pasta bake is quite rich. Spring mix with this Creamy Balsamic Dressing would be wonderful, or try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
- Or go all out with some Garlic Bread.
- It would also be a great side dish for plenty of main courses such as my Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Baked Pork Chops, or even a steak like my Best Ribeye Steak.
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, and be sure to leave me a review! You can also find me on Instagram.
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 9×13 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Looks and sounds delicious
Thank you, Jo! Let us know if you give it a try.
This recipe was easy and delicious, however I found the cheese mixture too thick and I added more cream ….maybe I should have taken it off the burner sooner!i
Hi Teresa! You definitely could do that next time, but adding more cream or a splash of broth is definitely the right thing to do in that case! Glad you liked it!
❤️Simple, easy and I will be making this again soon!!! I will add some chicken the next time.
Yay!! Thank you!
Great! My picky eater loved it. Only change I made was adding diced chicken.
The alfredo sauce was perfect, and we will be switching that out with all our other alfredo and fettucine dishes.
Thank you, Jody!!
So many compliments on this recipe. It’s now a staple. Love it!
Yay!! So glad to hear that, Lori!
Very good, but next time I’ll add sun dried tomato and spinach! Thank you for sharing this recipe! My family loves it!
You’re very welcome!
I’ve made this twice for my night crew at work; the 2nd time they requested it because it was so good. I’m going to try adding broccoli and cauliflower next time, just to sneak some veggies in!
After cooking it in the oven, I put it into a crockpot and take it into work.
Thanks for an awesome recipe that doesn’t require a lot of effort!
You are very welcome, Dani!
Have already made this twice. So easy to make and the alfredo sauce is delicious! It’s great with diced chicken mixed in too! The second time was even better 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear that, Kelsey!!