This is the best tortellini vegetable bake ever! Delicious pasta baked in a vegetable sauce with lots of cheese, comfort food at its best.
If you want to ensure that your children eat their dinner (including all the veggies) without complaints tonight, this tortellini vegetable bake is the way to go.
Not only will they eat it, but you will probably even get lots and lots of compliments, and at least this time, it won't be for making pizza. No, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you fed your kids lots and lots of veggies, and they didn't even complain once. ๐
Here are some other delicious tortellini or pasta bakes your children will love: Baked Tortellini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella, Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake, and Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole.
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Ingredients
I love the list of ingredients. I mean, what's not to like: pasta, lots of sweet red bell peppers, tomatoes, and CHEESE! Cheese does make anything better, doesn't it?
Tortellini:
- You can use two types of tortellini; I have made the casserole dish countless times and used both kinds of tortellini.
- Dried tortellini can be found on the dry pasta shelf in the supermarket. They are cheaper and actually pretty good.
- However, during the past few years, I have switched to using fresh tortellini from the supermarket's fresh pasta shelf. They are even better.
- The only things you have to remember are the cooking times that the two sorts of tortellini need and the fact that the quantities you need are different.
- 250 g/ 8.8 oz dried tortellini needs a longer cooking time (check the packet) and will weigh more or less double once cooked.
- If you use fresh tortellini, you will need about 450 g - 500 g/ 1 lb of fresh tortellini, which will only need to cook for a couple of minutes prior to using them to make the cheesy tortellini bake.
Cheese:
- We are using cheese quite liberally here, not one, but two types of cheese: feta and Gouda, 125 g or 1 cup of each.
- Feel free to substitute Gouda for a cheese that is similar to Cheddar, which is available in your area.
Vegetables:
- Lots of red bell peppers, four of them.
- Add some tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes or regular ones are not important; what is important is that they are ripe and sweet and maybe don't have many seeds. If you use regular, seedier tomatoes, remove the seeds before chopping them.
- Otherwise, lots of garlic and dried oregano enhance the Italian flair of this pasta bake. Topping the casserole with fresh basil just before you serve it would make things perfect!
The tortellini vegetable bake is best served immediately. However, you can still reheat the leftovers in the oven and be happy with the result.
Tortellini Vegetable Bake
Equipment
- Casserole dish about 10x8 inches/ 25x20 cm
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh tortellini 450 g OR 250 g/ 9 oz dried ones, Note
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes 200 g
- ยฝ cup vegetable stock 125 ml
- 1ยฝ cup feta 125 g
- 1ยฝ cup cheese Gouda, Cheddar, grated, 125 g
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360ยฐF/ 180ยฐC.
- Cook tortellini according to the packet's instructions. Fresh pasta only needs 1 or 2 minutes; dried pasta takes longer (check the packet's instructions). Drain well and return the pasta to the pan. 1 lb fresh tortellini/ 450 g or 250 g/ 9 oz dried tortellini
- Chop vegetables: In the meantime, chop the onion, garlic cloves, and bell peppers very finely.1 medium onion + 3 garlic cloves + 4 red bell peppers
- Saute vegetables: Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion cubes, and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the peppers and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano.1-2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon dried oregano + fine sea salt and black pepper
- Simmer: Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan together with the vegetable stock. Let cook for 5 minutes more.7 oz cherry tomatoes/ 200 g + ยฝ cup vegetable stock/ 125 ml
- Combine: Add the sauce to the tortellini in the pan, add the crumbled feta, and mix well. Adjust the taste with more salt and pepper if necessary.1ยฝ cup feta/ 125 g + 1ยฝ cup cheese/ 125 g
- Assemble the dish: Brush the casserole dish with a little olive oil. Add the pasta mixture to the dish and sprinkle everything with the grated cheese.
- Bake tortellini vegetable bake: for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a green salad.
lizzie says
This was so good and so easy......I have made this four or five times now and it has turned out great...thanks for sharing !
Adina says
Wow! Thank you, Lizzie, your comment makes me very happy!! We love this dish too and I am so glad somebody really did cook this!
Adina says
So glad you like it. I heard peeling the peppers with a potato skinner would work wonders for people who have problems with peppers.
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I don't mind red (or green) bell peppers, but they don't agree with me. ๐ It won't stop me from eating some of this Cheesy Tortellini Casserole. It looks delicious and something that my entire family would love.