Baked Cheese Tortellini in Vodka Sauce.
Everyone flips over this vodka sauce baked tortellini! Silky, creamy vodka sauce blankets cheese tortellini and is baked together until melty and golden. Top with lots of fresh basil and parmesan! Cheese heaven!
One more comfort food dish to close out winter!
This baked tortellini is such a cozy family meal. One that I find myself making on repeat because it’s that good. The epitome of comfort food, excellent as a side dish to some grilled chicken or as a main dish paired with a big arugula salad.
This is a culmination of two of my favorite things: cheese tortellini and silky vodka sauce!
If you’ve been around here for a while, then you know that these two things are a staple in my weeknight meals. And man oh man do I LOVE them.
Like, why is vodka sauce so good? I have never loved traditional marinara sauce, but there is something about creamy vodka sauce that sends me. Maybe it’s the lack of acidity, the slight addition of cream which provides the best mouth feel and all that savory parmesan melted right in…
That has to be it. All of it.
Bury me in a vat of vodka sauce and I will be thrilled!
This meal is so versatile and easy that it will probably become a staple in your rotation too.
You can use different varieties of tortellini.
Even add in a pound of ground beef or ground turkey to bulk it up a bit.
You can stir in some fresh baby spinach for a veggie punch.
Or top it with burrata cheese for a special occasion.
We’re soooo close to the end of winter but this is a dish that is made SO quickly and easily that it can happen in the spring too. Until it gets too hot to turn on the oven, that is.
All that you have to make here is the vodka sauce, and you can do it in a flash! The base of the sauce uses tomato pasta which results in the richest tomato-y flavor without bits of actual tomato. Going to be honest: that is exactly how I like it. Yes please.
I also make a faux-pasta water because it helps bring the sauce together. It’s a game changer! Then there’s also a bit of cream and parmesan. All delish ingredients.
There is only one important rule for the tortellini and for me – that rule is that it’s refrigerated. Grab one from the refrigerated section of your grocery store, whatever flavor you love. This allows the tortellini to cook in the sauce and it only takes a few minutes. The sauce is a cozy blanket that envelops the pasta… and there’s also a little cheese stirred in there too.
And on top of course!
Finally, I just bake the entire thing so it comes together and the cheese gets super melty and bubbly and golden. Like this!
Freaking fantastic. The kids flip! I flip.
I want to eat it straight out of the pan.
Baked Tortellini in Vodka Sauce
Baked Tortellini in Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup reserved pasta water, or substitution, listed below
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons vodka, (I like Tito’s)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini, or any flavor you love
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- To make a starchy pasta water without cooking pasta, combine 1 cup of water with ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat! Set it aside until ready to use.
- Heat the butter in a 10 to 12-inch oven-safe saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. The color will darken - this is where the flavor is!
- Stream in the vodka and stir, scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in ½ to 1 cup of the reserved (or makeshift) pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in the uncooked tortellini. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly. Serve, topped with parmesan and fresh basil.
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I appreciate you so much!
Cheese on cheese on cheese.
