Skip to main content
Lunch | Dinner | Snack

Pesto Tortellini Bake

  • 5 Mins

    Prep Time

  • 25 Mins

    Cook Time

  • 4

    Servings

  • 952

    Calories

  • 63g

    Fat

  • 69g

    Carbs

  • 28g

    Protein

Recommended For:

Low Appetite/Weight Loss

Download Recipe PDF
Array
  • Share:

Ingredients

  • 1 Package (20 oz) Cheese-Filled Tortellini
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream, pasteurized
  • ¾ Cup Pesto
  • ¼ Cup Sliced Sun-Dried Tomatoes (not oil-packed), roughly chopped
  • 1 Cup Pasteurized Mozzarella Cheese
  • 3 ½ Cups Fresh Spinach, washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Pasteurized Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, washed and minced
  • 2 Tbsp Pine Nuts
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

What You’ll Need

  • 9x13-Inch Baking Dish

  • Measuring Cup

  • Measuring Spoon

  • Cutting Board

  • Knife

  • Large Pot

  • Small Mixing Bowl

  • Colander

  • Mixing Spoon

  • DDairy:

    Replace the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with a dairy-free cheese; there is no substitute for the heavy cream; use cheese-free tortellini; replace the pesto with a cheese-free version.

  • GGluten:

    Replace the regular tortellini with a gluten-free version.

  • NNuts:

    Omit the pine nuts.

Instructions

  • 1.

    Wash Hands Wash hands with soap and water.

  • 2.

    Preheat Oven & Cook Tortellini Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook tortellini according to package instructions.

  • 3.

    Reserve Water & Drain Pasta Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.

  • 4.

    Combine Ingredients Transfer the pot back to the stove and add the pesto and heavy cream. Stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tortellini, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella. Add a splash of cooking water and stir together. Add more cooking water if mixture appears dry. Transfer pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

  • 5.

    Top Pasta & Bake In a small bowl combine the Parmesan cheese, basil, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes.

  • 6.

    Serve & Store Allow to cool slightly before serving. Refrigerate pasta bake within 2 hours. Pasta will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

  • 7.

    Wash Hands Wash hands with soap and water.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine

Nourishment Notes

Dairy

Full-fat dairy products, such as cheese, cream, and whole milk, are high in calories. A high-calorie diet may be necessary if unwanted weight-loss is occurring. Full-fat dairy also provides important nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin D.

Spinach

Spinach is a nutrient powerhouse. It’s packed with antioxidants to help reduce inflammation. It also contains nutrients and vitamins that may help lower the risk of heart disease.

Fatigue Buster

  • Pesto

    Use jarred or pre-made pesto to reduce preparation time.

  • Basil

    Dried basil can replace fresh to reduce preparation time. 1 Tbsp dried is equivalent to 2 Tbsp fresh.

  • Ask for Assistance

    Ask a friend or family member to help prepare this entrée.

You may also like

There's plenty more delicious recipes to try!

Connect with a Dietitian

We use prevailing industry practices to protect your information you submit to us using this form. While we are diligently working to protect your information, it is still possible your information could be intercepted or hacked while it’s sent to us. We don’t recommend you put anything about you in this form you do not want to risk being exposed to a hacker. Because of these risks, we cannot guarantee the privacy of your information submitted on this form. We’ll keep working to improve the privacy and security of our website to keep up with prevailing industry practices.